In midst of the massive Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina system failure, one customer went to the local media with a story about his refusal to back down, according to ABC 11.
The insurer was under fire last week for technical problems, which led to many enrollees questioning whether they had insurance at all.
Joe Rabiega decided to take things into his own hands after spending hours, he claims, on hold with customer service representatives. On Jan. 14, he went to the BCBS of NC corporate headquarters in Durham. He said he refused to leave the premises until he got the coverage for which he paid.
Mr. Rabiega is a licensed mental health therapist. Because many of his clients' policies are listed as inactive through BCBS of NC, he has nearly $1,000 in claims for which he isn't getting paid. More importantly, although he paid for coverage in December, his own family's insurance is listed as inactive.
When he showed up at the BCBS of NC corporate office, he claims he told workers he'd lock himself in the lobby with his bike lock. Though he didn't have to use it, he claims to have waited in the lobby for seven hours — three and a half hours after the office closed — until a customer service representative assured him his coverage was active.
Becker's Hospital Review received conflicting accounts on Tuesday of the amount of time Mr. Rabiega waited at the headquarters. One source insists that the seven hour span was actually closer to an hour and Mr. Rabiega exaggerated his experience.
On Jan. 15, Mr. Rabiega's coverage was confirmed as active. BCBS of NC increased security measures at its corporate office that same day, according to the report. A BCBS of NC spokesperson did not confirm enhanced security to Becker's.
[Editor's note: This story was updated at 5:40 CST on Jan. 19.]