In mid-March, Ron Milligan had colon cancer surgery. Soon afterward, weak and in pain, the Maplewood man went to a follow-up appointment, only to be told that he no longer had health insurance.

He called his insurance carrier, which said his employer, Marsden Building Maintenance of St. Paul, had canceled his insurance. Milligan, 50, who works as a janitor, then called Marsden's human resources department, which confirmed the cancellation.

Stymied, Milligan skipped appointments, cut back on pain pills and put off heart medication refills for his wife, Linda, to save money. Milligan said he contacted the United Way, the Salvation Army and the American Cancer Society for help with the bills.

"I went anywhere I could get my hands on," Milligan said.

His stomach, he said, was topsy-turvy from worry.

Frightened and confused, he turned to the Watchdog.

The stakes were high for Milligan's health, and the Watchdog saw this tangled mess needed to be resolved quickly. Milligan told the Watchdog he had been a Marsden employee for decades. He'd worked in a variety of positions, the most recent of which, a cleaning supervisor, was management, so he'd been on Marsden's own coverage with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. That tracked with a March pay stub, the Watchdog noticed. But he'd also told the Watchdog he wasn't a union member -- yet union dues were being subtracted from his paycheck.

She called the Service Employees International Union Local 26, and President Javier Morillo looked into it.

The Watchdog also talked to Marsden President Chris Norgren.

"From a company standpoint, we'll do the right thing. This will be our prime concern," Norgren said. "It's my job to make sure that our employees are taken care of."

After a few days of talks among Morillo, Marsden executives and the Watchdog, Milligan was covered by insurance again and a picture of what had happened began to emerge.

In September, there had been a "qualifying event" that moved Milligan out of a position covered by company insurance. He'd been transferred to clean a different building, but his duties were somewhat different, and the new position had been termed a union job, which was eligible for union, but not company, insurance.

But Milligan maintains no one told him that -- or that such a change meant he needed to switch from BCBS and sign up with the health insurance from the bargaining unit.

Plus, for months after the change, he was charged for and covered by the company insurance, which should have been canceled in favor of the union insurance. Because Milligan was a longtime Marsden employee and had been in the union previously, Morillo said, the union would have waived the usual six-month wait for union insurance.

In mid-March, Milligan received a notice from Marsden human resources for employees newly eligible for benefits. It said nothing about switching from one insurance to another, though.

The problem seemed to stem from poor communication between the janitor and the company that he has worked for since 1989. The union said it never received notice from the company that Milligan was making the switch.

"Even if it was the most innocent of mistakes on their part, it was a horrific situation," Morillo told the Watchdog.

Milligan is back on the job, and his company has given him an apology, he said. He and his wife are now on union insurance. Since that's about $150 less per month than the company insurance and has a lower deductible, the Watchdog believes Milligan deserves a refund. The union agrees, as does Milligan.

"I just want what is coming to me, and for this not to happen to anyone else," he told the Watchdog.


Health insurance is so complicated that it can be confusing -- for the patient, certainly, but even for a company's human relations department and the insurance carrier itself. If you get a ridiculous bill or all of a sudden your insurance seems have vanished, there are basics to keep in mind and agencies you can turn to.

Here's some advice from the Watchdog and Cheryl Fish-Parcham, deputy director of health policy of Families USA, a nonprofit consumer health advocacy association.

First, work with your insurance carrier and your company's human resources department. Keep a running list of who you talk to, their names and/or badge numbers, the time and date, and what they say. Ask to get key points in writing. If something makes no sense at all, ask to speak to a supervisor.

If you're a member, contact your union immediately. It likely will have a specialist in these matters, and it's helpful to have someone powerful and knowledgable on your side.

If you haven't been able to resolve your dispute with your insurance company, the Minnesota Commerce Department may be able to help. See the links at

The U.S. Labor Department oversees health insurance laws and how they affect consumers.

For example, if you lose your insurance because you're laid off or some other "qualifying event," you may be eligible to continue your insurance at a higher premium for a period of time. See details online at

For consumer-friendly explanations of other federal laws and programs and a list of links, go to

Also, insurers and self-insured companies cannot drop their customers' policies just because their customers become ill, Fish-Parcham said. That and many other protections are part of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the recent federal Affordable Care Act, currently being implemented.

Editor's note: To ask the Watchdog for help, go to, call 651-228-5419 or email Follow her at