I have a 2020 Hyundai Kona with 50K miles that I bought two years ago, with 40K miles, for about $20,000. I recently drove into a parking garage with my bike rack on my car, causing roof damage. They are considering it totaled with an initial estimate of $10,600 in damages on a car valued at $15,600. First, that seems low, given that I've seen other vehicles online with the same miles for $17,000 or more. They are also trying to claim that the car has $3,000 in unrelated damages, even though I've never hit anything, scratched anything, bumped into anything, etc. I suppose there must be minor dings or scratches from driving it in the city (I've asked them to email me photos), but regardless, $3,000 seems high for whatever it is. I'd also argue that I've been paying insurance rates on a car valued at closer to the $20,000 I paid for it, not....$10,000? My question: Does it seem reasonable that a regular seeming car with no issues beyond standard wear and tear would see a $3,000 devaluation like this? Can I get a second opinion on the value of my car, and this prior damage? How do I go about doing that, and what would it cost? On a slightly unrelated note...is insurance just kind of insane right now? I feel like I'm hearing stories that they are totaling everything these days. (I have State Farm, comprehensive coverage).

I am being found partially at fault for an accident I was not involved in, and I need some advice. Here's the situation: I was driving up to a busy intersection where the traffic lights were not working. I was in the left turn lane, waiting for my turn to go. Cars to my left were crossing, and once they passed, it would be my turn to proceed. As those cars started passing, I began to pull out, but I noticed a car behind them, still approaching the intersection. This car did not stop and just went through, even though it was not their turn. I kept going a little, hoping they would stop since it was clearly not their turn, but when they didn’t, I stopped to let them pass. At this point, I was already in the intersection, close to their path but not in the way. They could have passed me without hitting me. However, as they started to pass and I was completely stopped, they suddenly swerved left. I think they either didn’t notice me initially or assumed I was still moving forward, and they ended up hitting the car in the lane to their left—another car that also went out of turn. Since I didn’t think I was involved in the incident, I didn’t stop and just continued on my way. About a week later, I received an email saying that a claim had been filed. The car that was hit was a Tesla, and it had a camera that recorded my license plate number. I called my adjuster, and they told me the police report placed me at fault. The report claimed the officer saw video footage from the Tesla showing that I didn’t have the right of way and went when it wasn’t my turn. I asked my adjuster if he had seen the footage, and he said the attorney (both cars are claiming injuries and filing lawsuits) had sent only the footage from the Tesla's side camera. The attorney refused to provide footage from the front camera. Even from the side camera, my adjuster noticed a car ahead of the one that swerved which would indicate they went behind the car in front of them and did not have the right of way because they never stopped at the stop sign., but when he pointed it out, the attorney claimed he was mistaken and insisted the other driver had the right of way, not me. They refuse to provide any other videos or even a longer version of the video that would show they never stopped at the intersection. I actually have a dashcam in my car, but I didn’t think to save the footage, and by the time the claim was filed, it had been overwritten on my memory card. I gave a full statement to my adjuster detailing my version of the incident. I also contacted the insurance companies for both other vehicles (both GEICO), and they said they were accepting 100% liability for the car that swerved and didn’t need my statement. Two weeks later, my adjuster called and told me that, because the police report said the officer saw video footage placing me at fault and both claimants agreed I was at fault, he would be accepting 50% liability and paying out policy limits to the injured parties. Is there anything I can do at this point? I requested the body-worn camera footage, but it would cost $245 and wouldn’t be available for 6-9 months, so that seems pointless. I am actually a PD claims adjuster myself, but I’m just flabbergasted and don’t know what else I can do.

Good morning, So on my way to work I got rear ended at a traffic light and me and the girl who rear ended me pulled over. She apologized profusely saying she assumed I was going to run a red light. We exchanged insurance info and number. She then started texting me begging to not go through the insurance for this and that reason and that she’ll pay me $500 out of pocket if we don’t go through the insurance. I refused and went through the correct route of reporting it to her insurance… but after a couple weeks of waiting, they denied my claim reasoning that I made an unsafe lane change which I didn’t. I did swap lane from left to right and as I was merging the light turned yellow and I eased in on the break to a stop… she assumed I will run the red light which caused the crash. She hit me on the rear end and most of the damage is in the left side of my car… I showed their insurer the texts exchange between me and her… I also reasoned that it’s untrue that I made an “unsafe” lane change because why would the damage to my car be on left side? So I’m wondering what my options are? Thank you for listening!

I'm 41 and live in New Jersey. I work for a non-profit and make around $35k per year. A few months ago, I saw my GP for a regular check-up and mentioned that, in my job, people often speak confidentially, whisper, or are just low talkers, and I sometimes have trouble understanding them when it seems like there is an expectation that I should not, which can get frustrating. I said that I have not had my hearing tested since I was in grade school like 25 years ago and asked whether that's something that should be checked from time to time. She said sure and wrote me a referral to get a hearing test. So I went to the website for my insurance (Horizon, aka Blue Cross Blue Shield) to search for providers and easily found an audiology office that's tier-1 in my network a few blocks away. I called them, explained that I hadn't had my hearing checked in decades and was looking for a regular test with my doctor's referral, and gave them my insurance information so they could verify that they're in my network. I went for the test, which didn't really tell me much, and later I received the finalized claim notification and was surprised to see that I owe $1,041.85. I argued with the billing department, and then I argued with the insurance company. There are two different issues here, I've been told. First, insurance explained that the medical coding was for a diagnostic hearing test rather than a routine (annual) hearing test. (Obviously, no one ever gave me an option for which type of test I wanted to receive.) An insurance representative talked to the billing department while I was on the phone and was unable to convince them to change their coding; they insisted that they had coded it correctly and that it would be illegal to change it. Insurance doesn't consider it preventive care if it's a diagnostic test, even though their Preventive Health Guidelines document mentions "Doctor will ask about hearing difficulties and refer for further diagnosis" under "Other Recommended Screenings/Tests." When I escalated and spoke with a different insurance representative, she figured out the other issue, which became the main focus: I was billed as a hospital outpatient, not as a visitor to a specialist office. She was not able to change that by working with the billing department and filed an appeal internally with the insurance company on my behalf. About a month later, just the other day, I received a denial of the appeal in the mail. I can still file my own appeal, but I'm not sure how to get a different result. In the meantime, my "payment is overdue," and I'm worried about it going to collections and affecting my credit. The billing department isn't doing anything to hold the timeline even though I've told them repeatedly that I'm arguing with insurance about the bill and had them note it on my file. If I gave the audiology office my insurance up-front, didn't they have an obligation to inform me that the service wouldn't be covered? If I found the provider through my insurance website as in-network, didn't they have an obligation to inform me that the office was considered hospital outpatient and not a specialist practitioner? I should note that I live right by a hospital in a major healthcare city, and many of the facilities throughout the city are under their umbrella. My GP's office is also part of the hospital system. Their name is on the door. I use the same patient portal for my doctor visits as I got this bill through. So why, when my GP is a regular office visit, would this audiology office bill me as a hospital outpatient? I've had health insurance for almost 17 years through my job but only recently started exercising it at all. It's absolutely insane to me that I can be billed an amount like this without anyone letting me know up front that I'm agreeing to pay for a costly service rather than just a co-pay. I'm dealing with some dental stuff right now that's not covered by my plan, and the dentist's office has been extremely clear and forthcoming about costs months in advance. In contrast, this hearing test bill feels like a scam. Does anyone have any recommendations for what I can do from here? Also, does the No Surprises Act help me with this at all?

I have a pair of Sphynx cats—both female, spayed, and 1.5 years old. Right now, I have Trupanion for their pet insurance, and overall, I’ve had a good experience with them. That said, one of my girls had an allergic reaction earlier this year that required multiple follow-up visits, and the out-of-pocket costs for exams alone really added up. I reached out to Trupanion, and they said I’m allowed to have a separate wellness plan from another provider to help cover things like exam fees and routine care. So now I’m on the hunt for a solid wellness plan—mainly one that covers exams, vaccines, and most importantly, the annual HCM screening for both girls. Trupanion might or might not cover that since it’s kind of a gray area between diagnostic and preventive. I’m betting they’ll treat it as preventive, so I want a backup plan. Any recommendations for wellness plans or other insurance options? Every time I think I’ve found a good one, I come across a flood of awful reviews (though I know that’s just the nature of insurance). I do plan to call and confirm coverage details before signing up, and I’ll also ask if they can review my girls’ vet records to determine what they’d consider pre-existing. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Location: Georgia, USA Hello everyone- My brother was in a motorcycle accident April 6, 2024. He was in ICU for a month and discharged in July, 2024. During that time he did not have his phone, access to email, or ability to check standard mail. My brother was a PE Teacher and football coach in the state of Georgia for 27 years. All of his insurance premiums were paid for once a month in his paycheck. The state of Georgia agreed to early retirement with benefits beginning July 2024. Blue Cross informed him last month they were dropping his insurance for delinquent payments. His appeal was denied. My brother is looking into COBRA as well as ACA. What steps should he be taking to get the necessary pain medications he needs daily? Thanks!

Hi everyone! I appreciate any and all answers here. So I just filed my taxes for 2024 and my HR Block representative said that she urges me to switch from Covered California as soon as possible. In 2024 I had medical issues that caused me to lose my job so I switched from employer provided insurance to Covered California starting last May 2024 with the cost being $94/month. Then in August 2024 I got a new job and received a significant pay bump ($21/hr to $31/hr) and I did not know that I was supposed to report my new income to Covered California. In December 2024 after my surgery (to deal with the aforementioned medical issue) I contacted Covered California about renewing for 2025 and during that conversation I found out that I was supposed to report my income change. That led to my rate increasing to $294/month and the worker told me that I will also be facing a tax penalty and backpay for not letting them know about my new monthly income. When I prepared my taxes a few days ago she revealed that the backpay was a total of $1,100 and she said that she's seen this with a lot of her clients and even herself. She stated that with my line of work I will most likely earn more than I anticipate this year and will most likely pay even more taxes to the IRS with Covered California. She urged me to get on a new health insurance plan asap. **My current options are to contact the company that I work with (it's a third party company that I get pay from as a contractor even though I work full time hours). OR I can contact individual insurance companies and try to just get a rate directly with them.** **My questions are** **1) Am I even able to switch my insurance this late into the year? I don't have a major qualifying event aside from just wanting to leave Covered California.** **2) Are the options that I mentioned above correct or are there other solutions that I am not aware of?**

I'm in a pickle with a doctor's office billing after insurance says they paid. What are my next steps? Appointment in Sept 2023 with a verified in-network provider. Doctor office submitted an insurance claim under a different OON provider who I never met/saw/knew about when I went to my appointment. Insurance didn't pay but applied it to my OON deductible. Then a couple weeks later Doctor office submitted a new claim (NOT A REVISED ONE) for the same date but listed an in-network provider. Insurance covered it 100% less copay. Even though it was under a different provider, I know he works closely with the PA I saw so figured it was accurate enough for insurance purposes. I thought this was settled. From my view of EOBs it looks like insurance paid my bill and I paid my copay. Fast forward to now, I get a bill from my doctor office saying you owe us for the original appt. I had no idea there was a balance and I've been to this practice about 30 times since the original appointment in Sept 2023. I told them I have EOBs showing that they were actually paid by insurance, I forward them to them to verify. They are sticking to their guns saying I owe. I called insurance. They said it is too long ago for them to re-work the claims but from their point of view, they believe I should not owe anything beyond the initial copay. Doctor's office billing will not go over details on the phone. They want all communication to go through email, of which I've sent 2 (one with the 2 EOBs and one asking them to please look again at the second EOB which shows they were paid for the appointment), both emails they responded "please pay your bill". Where do I go from here? Insurance doesn't seem interested in stepping in to help since it's an almost 2 yr old charge. And doctor office is being very difficult to deal with. ETA: if it matters the doctor's office was recently or in the process of being bought out by a private equity company from a different state when I went in 2023. The OON provider they initially billed insurance with is the owner or CEO or something with the private equity.

I booked a flight from LAX to Hanoi through Priceline, flying with Cathay Pacific and transiting through Hong Kong. I had a valid visa for Vietnam, but I was denied boarding because my layover in Hong Kong was 12 hours and 25 minutes, just over the 12-hour limit for visa-free transit. This wasn’t disclosed at the time of booking, and when I asked for help at the airport, Cathay Pacific’s staff couldn’t assist me—they just told me to call their scheduling department. When I called, they initially quoted me $800 to reschedule to a later flight (11 PM), which I agreed to. After a long hold, I asked if I could take the 10 PM flight instead, and they said it would cost another $700. Frustrated but wanting to get there at the same time as my wife, I agreed. They put me on hold again, and then told me they couldn’t book it because it was too last-minute. Suddenly, the only option left was a $4,000 ticket, which I declined. Instead, they promised me a rebooking for the next day that would still arrive on Monday, which was essential for my plans. I agreed. When they finally called back, they had booked me on a flight arriving Tuesday, not Monday—not what I agreed to. And by that time, they had already charged my card. Now, I’ve lost: • My original $900 ticket (Priceline) • The $800 + $700 for rebooking • A $60 cancellation fee • They even charged me toll fees for the call I feel like I was misled, overcharged, and given incorrect information multiple times. Priceline and Cathay Pacific never warned me about the 12-hour transit rule, and Cathay Pacific kept changing the price and booking me on a flight I didn’t agree to. What are my options to get my money back? Can I dispute the charges? Do I have any legal recourse?

So I recently opened a new policy with GEICO for my car. A few days after opening the policy(march 2025), they added a driver without contacting me or giving me any notification. That alone increased my premium $450. The driver that was added is my GF that doesn’t live in my household or is licensed to drive(never got a DL). They claim I added her in a quote but i didn’t quote with them since ~Nov-Dec 2024(she visited during this time and left in Jan)I know you’re supposed to include any person in the household in a policy due to liability but I’m currently living alone. GEICO also claimed that they use “DMV records” to add drivers to policy on behalf of the customers if we didn’t do it already. That couldn’t be the case since my GF had no affiliation with the DMV in my state. Any advice on this matter would be appreciated