Jessica got completely scammed.

She works for a company that generously covers 100% of her health insurance premiums, so naturally, she pays $0 every month for coverage. Classic red flag.

Then she needed surgery.

She did what you’re supposed to do: stayed in-network, followed her doctor’s recommendations, scheduled everything properly. And yet, somehow, she still received bills afterward. A deductible here, some coinsurance there, one service that apparently wasn’t even covered (yes, it was considered experimental, but her doctor seemed pretty sure it was legit).

By the end of it, she owed $3,200.

$3,200?! After paying nothing in premiums?!

Scam.

Now, to be fair, the total cost of her care was about $130,000. But that’s not really the point, is it? Sure, her insurance covered well over $120,000 of that bill without asking her to sell her house, drain her retirement account, or start a GoFundMe. But still. She had to pay something.

And that’s where the scam really reveals itself.

Because clearly, the expectation is that insurance should work like an all-inclusive resort. You check in, flash your card, and everything from surgeries to specialty medications to surprise lab work is just… handled. No questions, no cost-sharing, no fine print.

Instead, what Jessica got was this strange arrangement where:

• Her employer paid the full cost of her monthly premium
• Her insurance covered the vast majority of a six-figure medical event
• And she was responsible for a very small portion of the total cost

Honestly, the audacity.

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Written by:
Elisabeth Ellingson
President & Principal Broker, Ellingson Group