MENTOR, Ohio — Despite the Ohio Department of Insurance's appointment as conservator of the Thin Blue Line Benefits Association, retired police officers, firefighters, and their families say they're still on the hook for thousands of dollars in outstanding medical bills.
A Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge also banned Thin Blue Line from operating in Ohio in July after the Ohio Attorney General's Office filed a complaint about the health insurer's failure to pay policyholders' medical claims and to obtain a state license.
But it remains unclear if - or when - all of those claims will be paid.
Filling the Gap
The self-funded association plan was created to fill the gap between retirement and age 65 for first responders, who often leave their jobs years before they qualify for Medicare, according to court records.
News 5 Investigators first reported problems with Thin Blue Line in February after several retired first responders reached out to the News 5 tipline about the company's failure to pay their claims, and their healthcare providers no longer accepting their coverage.
RELATED: Retired Ohio police, firefighters say Thin Blue Line Benefits is not paying their claims
News 5 Investigators obtained a letter from the company's claims administrator, Quilt Benefits, which said Quilt and Cigna Healthcare terminated their agreements with Thin Blue Line Benefits on Dec. 1, 2024, due to Thin Blue Line Benefits' failure to pay providers' claims.
The Ohio Attorney General's Office filed a complaint in June on behalf of the Ohio Department of Insurance, after it received numerous complaints about the Texas-based company, including consumers who said they have significant amounts of medical debt.
A retired firefighter is on the hook for over $300,000, according to the complaint.
A retired deputy sheriff owes at least $150,000 in medical bills after Thin Blue Line failed to pay his claims.
The Ohio Department of Insurance said it has received a total of 444 complaints about Thin Blue Line.
Both the Ohio Department of Insurance and the Ohio Attorney General's Office declined to comment on camera due to the ongoing litigation.
Who's Left Holding the Bag?
"This somehow fell between the cracks," Sharona Hoffman said. Hoffman is a law professor at Case Western Reserve University and an expert in health law.
The Texas-based company was operating without a license in Ohio and Arizona, according to court documents.
Because the company's insurance plans were marketed online - and directly to retired first responders - state regulators had no way to know Thin Blue Line was unlicensed until complaints started pouring in.
"They (ODI) are busy enough investigating misconduct on the part of insurers they know about," Hoffman said.
Any premiums the company collects will be put into a special bank account, which will likely be used to pay policyholders' medical bills, she said.
However, it does "not necessarily" mean everyone's claims will get paid, she added.
If the money runs out, policyholders will be left holding the bag.
"There are a few things that are helpful, but there is nobody that is just going to forgive those bills," Hoffman said.
"It would also be unfair to your doctor if the law was that, if you bought a bad insurance plan, you don't have to pay their bill," she said.
She said many healthcare providers offer a payment plan, and nonprofit hospitals that are tax-exempt are supposed to have financial assistance plans.
Thin Blue Line's Response
News 5 Investigators reached out to Anna Reed, the Texas-based company's president and CEO.
Her attorney, Adrienne Frazior, emailed News 5 Investigators a letter, which says the company is "cooperating with the Ohio Attorney General's Office and the Ohio Department of Insurance to accomplish the shared goal of ensuring policyholders continue to receive the health care they need and that health care providers receive prompt payment for rendered services to policyholders."
The letter says payments "may be delayed due to complications relating to claims systems issues, the transition to a new third party administrator, and with receiving claims information."
Policyholders with outstanding claims are advised to ask their health care providers to submit documentation to info@thinbluelinebenefits.com, according to the letter.
The plans offered by Thin Blue Line "will no longer be offered" as of Aug. 31, the letter said.
"A bad decision"
"You're not a company anymore," Laurie Mino said. "You're just a bunch of liars."
The Mentor resident said her family needed health insurance after her husband retired from the Willoughby Hills Police Department.
They signed up for Thin Blue Line after hearing good reviews from other retired first responders and seeing that the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police endorsed their plans.
"It was a very bad decision in the end," she said.
"At first, everything was fine," Mino said. But then, last fall, she said Thin Blue Line stopped paying their medical bills.
She estimates her family currently owes at least $15,000 in outstanding claims. Some of the bills have already been sent to collections.
"It's just added extra stress," Mino said. "Do we pay this medical bill because they didn't? Or do we spend that $600 on groceries for the month?"
At the same time, she said the Thin Blue Line continued to collect their monthly premium, which was more than $2,500 a month.
"It's really theft of our hard earned money," she said. "We did the right thing. We paid our monthly premium... then you did whatever you wanted to do with the money and you didn't pay the bill."
She said her family's unpaid medical bills aren't the only thing that keeps her up at night.
Her youngest daughter, Emily, underwent knee surgery two years ago.
Emily now needs follow-up care because she's experiencing pain in her leg, Mino said.
But she said her surgeon's practice won't see her daughter because of her family's unpaid balance.
"As a mom, it's the worst," she said. "To see your child, be uncomfortable or be in pain, and know that she needs to see her surgeons," she said.
"She can't go because it's almost like we're on the blacklist there - because they [Thin Blue Line] didn't pay."
