AARP Medicare Plans From United Healthcare

My UHC AARP PPO plan looks great on paper, but when expecting customer service, this insurance company falls flat and falls short. I read a few weeks ago, on the Internet, that UHC was the "Crown Jewel of Healthcare"; FAR FROM IT.

I selected this plan because of the largest amount of specialists, but how can that be a benefit if I call and get shuffled here, or shuffled there? Trying to get one non-formulary drug approved for a prior authorization was a nightmare. The onshore rep should have told me that they DENY TIER EXCEPTIONS on non-formulary drugs. If she didn't know, she should have.

Optum RX operates offshore, and the employees can't communicate with Americans effectively.

Once my prior auth was approved, the start date was OCTOBER 4, 2024, not January 4, 2024. The cost was $97 for 30 30-day supply - THREE TIMES THE COST WITH A DISCOUNT CARD FOR FREE. Stupid errors due to a language barrier are not a cost savings. I'm not saving any money, but I am losing my mind.

They keep you spinning and shuffling, so you can't get a straight answer about your healthcare.

I honestly think this is ENGINEERED INCOMPETENCE. I have logged about 60 hours calling UHC on my phone during January, my first month.

Communication is one way with UHC. You can only call or chat with them. They can email you to your personal email address, but while you wait for it, it goes to the UHC website.

Why don't they say that in the first place?

You have to be on high alert for their phone call because you can't get a hold of an escalation rep, who operates slowly while putting out another gazillion member fires.

This place is horrible!!! I am ready to jump ship during open enrollment if only there's another plan equal to or better.

United Healthcare is MAKING ME SICK!i

I called on 12/06/2023 and 12/07/2023 to verify they paid 100% on valplast in dental works. Both reps lied and told me yes.

Today 01/29/2024 my dentist office called and told me they checked and was told they only pay 50%, My part will be $690. I called customer service and after being on hold for an hour and 30 minutes I was finally connected to a supervisor who stated she could see I was given the wrong information and a complaint was filed with the supervisor and the reps would be retrained but that the limit for valplast was 50% and that is all they will pay, I gave up but no more business for this insurance company.

I am so pissed off now that they all have third party call centers in the Philippines and COULD NOT CARE ONE BIT about OUR personal medical information and health concerns being handled by those OUTSIDE THE U.S.

I am trying to deal with two different issues NOW waiting for a SUPERVISOR so I will see just how long this is going to take!!! At this point I could care less about the statement I was sent for penalties for NOT HAVING A PRESCRIPTION plan when I HAVE NO NEED FOR ONE since I DO NOT TAKE any meds at all? I DO NOT need any MEDS..so why am I being punnished for NOT HAVING A PERSCRIPTION plan when I DID in fact get one...

UHC has inept customer service. My claims did not cross over for 5 months.

Every month when I called to try to resolve it, I was told the same thing, they said the problem was with the Dr who submitted it. I guess they read a script. No one listens. No critical thinking.

They transfer you to multiple departments. Finally after speaking to a second supervisor she found the error. Someone x2 erroneously entered my Medicare number not once but twice. No attention to detail.

Blame the customer. Im still working on this, now the provider has to resubmit the billing form and EOB FOR 5 months.

When will this be fixed without me having to check up on them. Inept staff.

The agent from AARP, Carlos, with United HealthCare, kept me on the phone for over an hour in order to gather personal information and ask numerous medical questions. The only medical question I answered "yes" to a hospitalization within the past two years.

At the end of the conversation, he quoted $187 for a plan F supplemental. With Multi-Insured Discounts (2 family members), it brought the premium down to $162.40, which was about $40 cheaper than my Blue Cross policy. . He then sent me the application to view in my e-mail while he asked everything again on a recorded line.

I answered everything the same, and at the end of the electronic application the premium quote changed to over $400. I called AARP and spoke with someone who said Carlos knew the first time that my rate would be over $400 because of the hospitalization and should have told me.

Perhaps these supplemental plans should be subject to fixed government pricing like flood insurance. In the meantime, find a local agent who can explain your health care options, and stay away from on-line agents.

I am a customer of this company and I am not happy one bit, I have diabetes and I am trying to join a gym in my area for that reason, been trying to use my number to join, I moved from North Carolina to South Carolina and went to the YMCA to join, but I can't because my number don't work here, instead of a number, why can't I get a card like what you get from silver sneaker, I have to wait til September 1st before I can join a gym. I didn't know anything about a number to join a gym, had I known, I don't think that I would of went with this company, I would of stayed with my old company, I want to go swimming, play basketball inside, walk inside the cool gym and lift weights, but I have to wait.

Then the people in customer service, where did they find them and why is it that you have a hard time understanding what the *** they are saying or them listening to what you have to say, and they still not understanding you, I can't wait til October 15th so that I can change to another company.

I have 12 days until the 1st of September before I can go to the gym and then 45 days until this nightmare is over with. You have companies that give out cards to take to a gym and then you have this one here, that gives out numbers, who walks around with a number, I would rather have a card and that's what I am going to get in October, what a joke.

Every time I come to their website ( https://www.medicare.uhc.com/aarp ) I waste hours only to end up calling on the phone and wasting more time! The new website is even worse!

Two days ago I spent hours trying to find a new PCP since I received a letter stating that the current provider has left the practice. The search process simply does not work on this website. No matter what key words I input, I get incorrect information back if any at all. I put in "Lee Physicians Group" (current provider office) and get every doctor with the word "physician" in their profile!

Yeah, that is all of them! I select various filters in the search fields but none work. For example: select 'female' but still have males mixed in. Select Fort Myers location but get them all!

Put in a physician’s name but get no returns, even though I know they are in the network! UHC (United Health Care) actually selected/appointed a new physician for me automatically, way over in Cape Coral! They actually sent me my new ID card with my new PCP that I did not pick and do not want! I live in Fort Myers.

So there are no physicians participating here anymore???

So as usual, yesterday I make the dreaded phone call. Yep, another day off wasted with UHC and still no results! After talking to a UHC rep yesterday for half an hour, and being put on and off of hold several time (they have to research EVERY question or escalate it to someone that may know the answer…), I finally realized she could not provide me with any information whatsoever! She said she could mail me a book with all the physicians listed in it!

What!? I told her this is 2018, I am in your website now...just tell me how to access the available network physicians since the search function does not work! She said the website does not provide that. What!?

So I cannot use the website to search for a new doctor nor can I access the information within the website. So what is the website for again??? So I asked to speak to a supervisor. After being on hold for a supervisor for 15 minutes, I hung up.

This is not a one-time issue; this has become the new norm. Today I decided it was time to change insurance companies. So I have spent another morning on my day off to research other providers only to become so overwhelmed that I felt like giving up! I even sent emails from within the website a couple days ago asking for help and explaining what experience I had in a detailed message.

They did not even respond! Fed Up!

I suppose I will have to fill in one of those quote request online forms, only to be flooded with phone calls and emails from every agent in Florida! So I decided to put my review out there so others may make an informed decision on which Medicare supplemental insurance plan they place their healthcare needs with.