Insurance Agency
Via Benefits Insurance Services, LLCHeadquarters
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Complaint Details
Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.
Initial Complaint
01/16/2025
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
This company takes entirely too long to process claims after it is approved! I have a reoccurring payment every month! There isnt any reason this payment shouldnt be sent to my bank the 1st of each month because the total amount was approved! Sometimes its sent anywhere from the 3rd to the 5th! Also other claims are after approval will take up to 7 days! This isnt their money its mine!Business response
01/21/2025
We have received this message and will reach out to Ms. ******** shortly.Initial Complaint
01/15/2025
- Complaint Type:
- Customer Service Issues
- Status:
- Answered
This organization fails to provide the customer service that it committed to and is paid for. I, a customer, have called no less than 6 times, told to leave my # for a call back, and got NO CALL BACK. My issue of changing the broker of record for my ******** prescription coverage, is still unresolved. Today, having no success with call, spent over an hour on a chat with Via and they refused to resolve my issueBusiness response
01/21/2025
We have received this message and will reach out to Mr. ******** shortly.Initial Complaint
01/14/2025
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
Via Benefits is the personalized service that the State of Maryland uses to assist retirees select Medicare coverage and handle funding of their HRA cards. My husband and I are both State of Maryland Retirees on Medicare. He is a retired Maryland State Trooper and I was the Board of Public Works Coordinator for 10 years. We both received our insurance cards and HRA cards in a timely manner. The HRA cards were both funded on 12/5/2024, however my husbands funding of $750 (he was the policy holder for our benefits), was retracted on 12/26/2024. I have since been fighting with them to find out why the funds were retracted. I have been working with a representative there by the name of Melisa G***. They either did not responds to my emails at all or had no idea why the funds were retracted. I finally got an email from them the other day telling me that it was retracted because he is not yet 65. He has been on Social Security Disability for almost 8 yrs and on Medicare for 5 yrs. He is on a Medicare part D plan through the state and VIA benefits, all they have to do is look. I sent them his Medicare ID # and still have no funding. I have contacted Melisa G*** yet again who promised to correct the issue, and I have talked to Rhonda in DBM Retiree Benefits and left her messages. We are now 2 weeks in to January and he still has no funding. This is completely unacceptable.Business response
01/21/2025
We have received this message and will reach out to Ms. Schweers shortly.Customer response
01/21/2025
Complaint: 22808195
I am rejecting this response because: I have been communicating with VIA Benefits regarding this issue for 17 days and there is still no resolution to a simple matter of correcting the funding in my HRA account. I have supplied all proof required to show that my husband is eligible for his funding. The only message that I ever get (last one was 4 days agao), is that they are working on it! This is entirely not acceptable, they need to fix it!
Sincerely,
Robin SchweersBusiness response
01/30/2025
As of 1/27/2025, we informed Ms. ******** that an updated data file has been submitted, correcting the funding amounts and dates to accurately reflect the start date of 01/01/2025.
We will continue monitoring the progress of this update and will contact Ms. ******** directly with any further developments.
Thank you.
Customer response
01/31/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
***** ********Initial Complaint
01/10/2025
- Complaint Type:
- Customer Service Issues
- Status:
- Answered
On 1/1/2025 my automatic reimbursements for myself and my husband in the amount of $185 each were denied due to insufficient funding. 1/2/2025 ************** **************** funded our via ********. The payments were reviewed and approved on 1/2/2025 and have been stuck in processing mode. Normally every month this process happens in one day. I have held for hours on serveral days trying to reach someone. Yesterday I spoke with a *** who wanted to help but didnt know how. She transferred me to the escalation ***** I spoke with ******, I apologize, I dont know how to spell her name. She said there was no one she could call but she would email the funding **** to fix this issue and would call me back yesterday and would call again today. We are on a very tight fixed income. I explained we needed propane so please help us get this issue fixed. She never called and our reimbursements are still in Processing mode. Its been 9 days and no one listens. We are having to basically sit in the bedroom with a plug in heater. We are snowed in. No propane for heat.Business response
01/21/2025
We have received this message and will reach out to Ms. ***** shortly.Initial Complaint
12/18/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Answered
My wife was was employed through Pepsico. Apparently Via Benefits handles their retirement benefits. I am approaching medicare age. Today, 12/18/2024 someone from Via called and asked me to phone them at another number. I did. After getting transferred and holding for over an hour, I spoke with a woman who said that Pepsico places about $370 i(she had the exact amount, but I don't recall it) in an account for us annually. I asked her how much was in the account. She told me that we can only be given that information after we buy a Medicare Supplement or Advantage Plan policy through Via. It seems unreasonable and potentially illegal for them to force us to buy a product they are selling before we can learn how much money is in an account set up for us by my wife's former employer.Business response
12/30/2024
We have received this complaint and will reach out to Mr. and Mrs. ******* to review their account and options.Initial Complaint
12/09/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I signed up for health insurance, a ******** Supplement. My previous insurance was cancelled once they were notified of this new coverage. I signed up in October, plenty early enough with coverage beginning December 1st 2024. The insurance company never received my application and has no record of me. Via Benefits shows I have coverage but **** does not. I have serious medical needs and cannot see a doctor because I have not received a medical card and the insurance company says they have no information on me.Business response
12/20/2024
We confirmed on December 19, 2024, that the Carrier has received Mrs. ********** application for her medical plan. However, the status of the application remains pending. We have informed Mrs. ********* of this update and assured her that we are actively working with the Carrier to expedite the issuance of her plan. We will continue to follow up with the Carrier and keep Mrs. ********* updated on any developments, including additional efforts planned for next week.Customer response
12/30/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
****** *********Initial Complaint
12/04/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Unresolved
I have been trying to contact Via Benefits for over a month now . Wait time > 203 minutes when you call. If you wait you get disconnected - Per their policy I have to notify them by phone that I want to “opt in” to be eligible for reimbursement for a Medicare account that my employer provided the funds for when I retired. Yet they do not answer the phone - You cannot call them - It is not an option - They need to provide an alternative method like by regular mail or email to accomplish this task. i, like many others would not do business with a company like this but I have no choice.Business response
12/18/2024
We spoke with Mr. ***** and assisted with his concerns. We would like to request that BBB consider closing this complaint, thank you.Customer response
12/18/2024
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because:Via Benefits did call & leave a message several times but when I called back wait times > 120 minutes. I finally waited several times and could not reach person that left message. Two reps told me one thing & then the next day I got an email with conflicting information so my issue is still not resolved. The reps told me I have opted in to the Medicare reimbursement but the email said I have to do this after I have transitioned to Medicare. So which is it ? Are my wife & I all set or do we need to do the latter ?
Sincerely,
****** *****Initial Complaint
12/04/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Sales and Advertising Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Inability to register myself and wife for Prescription drug plan for ************************************************* system since using via benefits for over 5 years.Business response
12/18/2024
We have received this complaint and will reach out to Mr. ****** shortly.Initial Complaint
12/03/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Via Benefits has horrendous customer service. Its impossible to get a hold of a certified benefits advisor during open enrollment. The deadline for me to make a choice is December 7, and I have been calling since last week and cannot talk to the right person. The last two times I called, I was on hold for over an hour before getting cut off. On Dec 2, I called at 8:30am and waited 3 hours only to have a receptionist answer the phone who then said she would transfer me to a licensed benefit advisorI was told the hold time will be 319 minutes and Im currently in the middle of that wait time. That is over 8 hours of hold time in one day!!!! In fact, they will be closed by the time this hold elapses and I will be cut off again like yesterday. Im beyond frustrated that I cannot talk to someone who can answer my questions before I make my open enrollment decision. This is unacceptable!!!Business response
12/18/2024
We have received this complaint and will reach out to Miss **** shortly.Initial Complaint
11/27/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I have tried repeatedly to reach a licensed agent via phone. Wait times even at 8 AM are nearly an hour just to reach the intake person, and then perhaps an hour to reach an agent, and then repeatedly the agent has not heard me --- an issue on their end -- and hung up. It is not possible to keep my phone line clear for hours hoping to get a call back. Clearly VIA Benefits has not bother to staff up for open enrollment.And the website calendar for call backs is an insult -- only offering times AFTER this years open enrollment has ended.Business response
12/04/2024
We have received this complaint and will reach out to Mr. ****** shortly.Customer response
12/09/2024
Complaint: 22611371
I am rejecting this response because:
While I DID hear from the VIA Benefits escalation team on Wednesday 12/4 and was ASSURED that a licensed benefits advisor would call me, THAT NEVER OCCURED.
Due to the inability of VIA Benefits to handle the call volume (which should have been expected), I was unable to pursue a Medigap Part B change as the website is not sufficienty detailed.I just called VIA Benefits (Monday 12/9 and ******** Open Enrollment is CLOSED), and I'm now on a 44 minute wait. And that is just to get to the intake person which means likely another hour during which I must keep my phone line open and hope that someone actually picks up and can hear me.
I encourage others to seek other options to get their ******** plans. The support this year from VIA Benefits to an ex IBMer has been beyone abysmal.
Sincerely,
*********** ******
Business response
12/18/2024
Upon review, we contacted Mr. ****** on 12/10/2024, at which time he indicated he had not yet spoken with a Benefit Advisor but expressed a desire to do so. In response, a VIP Benefit Advisor reached out to him, and our records show that no changes were made to his plan following that interaction.
We attempted to contact Mr. ****** again on 12/16/2024 to address any remaining questions or concerns he might have. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach him, so we left a voicemail and will continue to follow up this week.
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Customer Complaints Summary
112 total complaints in the last 3 years.
29 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
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