[Rein]

I can't speak to UHC, but I can tell you that the legal document that contains the description of services by Blue Cross stipulates that they respond within a certain number of days to each request and appeal. I strongly recommend you review the actual contract you have with UHC to determine if there are clauses about timing of responses from them (and yourself, for that matter). I can't say this with any certainty, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that these sorts of things are in your state laws (or should be!).

If you meet all the contractual requirements and they don't meet theirs then you may very well have cause for legal action, threat of which is many times all it takes to get non-payers off their duffs. I'd also suggest that you might copy the appropriate pages of your contract (with specific clauses highlighted) and send them along with pertinent appeal papers by registered mail rather than faxing, to show them you now understand exactly what they are required to do and intend to seek legal remedy if they do not.

I have a pretty strong suspicion, based on these two identical cases of missed-fax-excuses, that they are pulling delay tactics on you to get you to give up prematurely. Don't give up!