Is this even legal? (concerning health insurance)

I've paid for health insurance out of my own pocket for years, because I have a "pre-existing condition" and figured if I stayed insured from a young age it would help keep my premiums down over the long haul. 

HAHA!  (one of those really not funny laughs)

I just got an email informing me that my coverage has been canceled. I didn't cancel it!  I had to change things around after I moved to California and haven't gotten a whole lot of information from the company (aetna) about my new plan, but kept paying because I wanted to have insurance in case I got run over on my bike/car accident/etc.  And the whole hassle of the pre existing condition thing made me want to just stick with a single company if at all possible.  I complain when the premium gets really high and they drop it down again.  It's ridiculous, but we all know that so I'll stop preaching to the choir. 

This is a sentence from the email informing me of my "updated" coverage:

"If you are still paying the monthly premium for this plan, please reply to this email so we can update our records."

And my reply:

"What the?  Yes, I'm still paying a whole lot for insurance that I tried to update and have heard nothing from the company since.  I'd appreciate being refunded the $160 a month I've been paying since January for NOTHING.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR INFORMING ME!  FOUR MONTHS LATER!

Sincerely, in anger and frustration over this completely broken way of "taking care of people,"

Marina

Feel free to call so I can express myself audibly: phone number here"

My last payment according to my bank records was made on the 23rd of March!  So now I have to convince a different provider to insure me?!  This is so awful!  Is this even legal? 

Also, the 800 number on my card mysteriously doesn't work anymore. 

Yup, they want our business, but really it's our money - and not to enter into equally fair business agreement.  I feel for you....

You may want to do a little research - sometimes there are task-groups form by Senators, State Reps to investigate insurance companies.  Sometimes there are private legal action groups you can jump into.  And there are places you can report such companies to. 

But what any of this will achieve for you and your situation I cannot say.

Sorry for all your trouble ♥

They're using loopholes to try to get rid of "risky" customers before the HCR bill takes effect to prevent them from doing this. They're hoping some percentage of the people who are really sick will die before 2014, when they won't be allowed to deny coverage for preexisting conditions anymore. I bet there will be a lot of lawsuits over this.

I don't know the laws, but you would think there should be some kind of notice. Check with your state insurance commissioner's office as all states have different health insurance laws.

There are COBRA laws, which are national, and apply to employer offered plans, so you would think there would be something for individuals, too!

Thanks everyone, for the empathy.   

I got a generic response from the customer service people "We'll look into that for you...."  Right.  I wonder if I'll hear anything about it ever again. 

I should probably put more energy into fighting it but.....I'm so angry about the whole concept of insuring my body that I don't want to deal. 

I find it kinda funny/sad that I'm one of the very few young adults I know who is willing and capable of paying for health insurance --- and they didn't want my money?  I don't get it.  I haven't been to a doctor in two years.  I need to go get my feminine parts looked at....guess I'll go to the local clinic and pay and hope I don't have cancer. 

Can anyone recommend a good insurance company for self employed people?  Preferably with a high deductible, and mostly good for traumatic injury situations?  My "pre-existing condition" isn't that big of a deal, reapplying for new insurance is just a mild head ache I thought I could avoid. 

good luck with that...i'm paying basically for HOUSE insurance on my medical..it only covers if i'm hospitalized..so..that saves my house..