The Internet Makes You Dumb

For all the wealth of information that can be found on the internet, people have become dumber, not smarter because of the web. No, this is not a scientific survey, just my personal observation. But it repeats itself over and over.

Let me prove my point.

Yesterday I received an email from a woman who wanted a particular health insurance plan and an HSA. She told me the plan she wanted and informed me her HSA would be with a brokerage house.

In responding to her request I informed her the plan she had picked out would not allow her to establish an HSA.

She came back and told me she had studied all there is to know about HSA's and she knows the rules by heart. She then said she would be willing to look at another plan, from the same health insurance company. 

My reply was that plan would work but I asked why she wanted a group health plan when, for many people, an individual health insurance plan is much less expensive.

She sent another response, telling me she had minor pre-existing conditions (high blood pressure) and her "partner" also needed coverage and had asthma. She then proceeded to complain about health insurance in general and tell me she would only buy coverage if I could produce a plan to her exact specifications.

It became quite obvious that she had all the answers and did not need me, so I simply said I did not know anyone who could help her and opted to end any future email exchanges.

The next situation occurred less than 24 hours later. This morning someone visited Georgia Insurance Shop looking for information on health insurance plans. I decided to give the woman a call and see if I could help.

She is relocating from New York and her COBRA will not travel with her. She is overweight, a tobacco user and diabetic.

No one will issue coverage and I told her so.

She did not believe me.

I suggested she go ahead and apply for coverage with any health insurance company, it didn't matter which one since all will deny her. When she has the denial letter she can then apply for PCIP.

Her response was to tell me she was in the medical field and she already knew she would not qualify for that plan and that I did not know what I was talking about.

Actually I do, but I saw no reason to argue since she already had all the answers and I had better things to do than talk to a doorknob.

So as you can see, in spite of all the information and resources available to us the internet makes some of us dumb. Some days I hate Al Gore for inventing the internet.