People fighting with their health insurance company over benefits ó or without coverage and confused about where to turn ó have a new resource in North Carolina. The Department of Insurance has launched a toll-free number to help people with questions related to health insurance.
N.C. Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin says consumers should consider the service, called Smart NC, to be a one-stop shop for dealing with private, group or government health plans.
A $1.2 million grant through the federal Affordable Care Act is funding the service.
Health insurance experts are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at 877-885-0231 for any question a customer might have: Am I paying too much? Do I qualify for Medicaid? Is my insurance company ripping me off?
Goodwin says a call to the Smart NC program can also get a ruling from your insurance company overturned.
ěSay if you have a procedure and your carrier denies payment for it, we will then help you set up an external review where our experts review what the procedure was and what the policy was,î Goodwin says in a press release.
ěIf the Department of Insurance says the company should pay for it, we reverse what the company denied. And that helps consumers.î