PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 A west Phoenix woman says she went to a doctor\u2019s office for a checkup after heart bypass surgery, only to learn her insurance plan had dropped both her and her daughter from health coverage.<\/p>\n
The reason, she said, was something she never expected: It said they were dead.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Hasegawa said she received a letter from Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state\u2019s health care plan for low-income families, showing her coverage and her daughter\u2019s coverage ended. She said it \u201cscared her to death.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hasegawa and her daughter, Corrie Hennerberg, are part of a west Phoenix family of four.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been dead now five days,\u201d Hasegawa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want my funeral,\u201d Hennerberg said. \u201cI want my flowers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Insurance letter cited death as reason for coverage termination<\/p>\n
A few weeks ago, Hasegawa reapplied for health coverage under AHCCCS, something she said she has done for five years. She received a letter Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe letter reading like a eulogy,\u201d Hennerberg said. \u201cIt says medical assistance stopped. We will stop medical assistance for Rebecca Hasegawa, my mother. We took this action because we have received information that the customer passed away, and then there\u2019s me. I\u2019m not dead though. I\u2019m very much alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thinking it was a mistake, Hasegawa said she went to a routine doctor\u2019s appointment after undergoing bypass surgery on her heart and surviving a stroke and two heart attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctor looked it up and she said, \u2018Oh, you died.\u2019 I\u2019m like, \u2018When did I die?\u2019 And she said, \u2018Four days ago,\u2019\u201d Hasegawa said.<\/p>\n
Hasegawa said HonorHealth contacted AHCCCS and said she was alive, but it would be five business days before getting a response.<\/p>\n
Hennerberg said she also contacted the insurance provider to report the mistake.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust gave me the robot and says, I can\u2019t speak to a representative because my ID doesn\u2019t exist. So which means they took it out of the books because I\u2019m dead,\u201d Hasegawa said.<\/p>\n
State says error stemmed from user entry mistake<\/p>\n
AHCCCS sent a statement after being contacted about the issue.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThank you for bringing this matter to our attention. AHCCCS provides several ways for members and applicants to get help, depending on their needs. After careful review by our membership team, it appears the issue stemmed from a user entry error in which a date of death was mistakenly entered for the individuals in question.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Hasegawa said they have not changed policies since moving to Arizona in 2019.<\/p>\n
For them, it\u2019s a comical situation but rooted in fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout my medicines, they, my doctors told me I could have a major stroke or heart attack and I could die,\u201d Hasegawa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I really thought it was like a misprint, a joke or something,\u201d Hennerberg said.<\/p>\n
According to the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner, which said in Arizona, only a medical professional, typically a doctor, nurse or EMT, can pronounce death.<\/p>\n
The state said benefits will be restored.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAHCCCS is retroactively restoring all benefits for the affected members. Our team will also be contacting the family directly to confirm that all account information is accurate and up to date.We<\/a> encourage AHCCCS members and applicants who have questions about eligibility, renewals, or account information to visit the AHCCCS website or Health e Arizona Plus at www.healthearizonaplus.gov<\/a> , or to call 1-855-HEA-PLUS (1-855-432-7587) during business hours. These official channels allow members to report changes, resolve issues, and receive assistance related to their coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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