Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Flexible Spending...a bit too flexible (I do not have a dependent and if I did, their name would not be Tom)

I received a check for $91.34 from United Healthcare Insurance Company. At the top of the document the document it says "Flexible Spending Account Statement". I did sign up for a Flex account through CPS so I thought this correspondence must have something to do with my account. However, I was suspicious when I saw "Dependent Name: Tom". I do not have any dependents. Hmmmm, I wasn't sure what to do. It'd be great to pocket this $90, however it usually works out that the bank or whoever makes the error figures it out six months from now at one of those times where I don't have $90 to spare. So, I called United Healthcare to check up on my Flex Spending for Tom. I went through two automated voice cycles before I spoke with an account rep who asked me the same thing as the automated voices: "What is your account #?" I replied, "I don't know, I don't think I have one, but I received this check for my dependent Tom and the thing is, I don't know Tom". They recommended I write "Void" across the check and send it back to them. I recommended that instead of spending 41 cents and an envelope on this, why not just tear it up and throw it away. "Yes, you could do that too", he said.

Great. I guess I just should not have called at all.

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