Blue Cross CEO apologizes for wait times, enrollment errors

The chief executive of North Carolina's largest health insurance company has apologized in writing to customers frustrated by long wait times on the company's customer service lines.

Posted 1:42 a.m. Jan 11, 2016 — Updated 3:25 p.m. Jan 11, 2016

RALEIGH, N.C. — The chief executive of North Carolina’s largest health insurance company has apologized in writing to customers frustrated by long wait times on the company's customer service lines.

"Although less than 1 percent of our 3.8 million customers in North Carolina have been impacted, one is too many," wrote Brad Wilson.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina bungled open enrollment by putting 25,000 customers in the wrong plans, and drafting more than 3,000 customers' bank accounts for the wrong amount. Spokesman Lew Borman told WRAL News that 2,600 of those accounts were back in balance by Sunday evening.

As customers tried to sort out the issues, some were on hold for hours, and the Blue Cross call center had volume of triple or more the usual, Wilson wrote.

Customers took to social media by mid-week to complain about billing problems, the company’s website and long wait times on the phone.

"I want all of our customers to know that we’re working around the clock to address the situation – bringing in more staff, expanding customer service hours and enhancing our website’s capacity," Wilson wrote.

Borman said the company would begin airing radio apologies on Monday.

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