United Health Care

[brbrtt]

I don’t know why AARP endorses United Health Care (UHC).

My wife and I joined an AARP endorsed UHC health plan on January 1, 2026.  Without any notice from UHC, they cancelled our Primary Care Physician from their network effective 3/31/2026.  We received no notice of this change, but rather had to find out by going on line and logging into our account.  It was posted there less than 2 weeks from the effective date of the cancelation, just days before the March 31st deadline for changing Medicare Advantage health plans.

This interferes with our continuous care and treatment, and requires us to scramble to get medical coverage.  Our PCP also states that UHC refuses to respond as to why they are being removed from the network after being in network for decades. This is just unacceptable.  How can AARP endorse such a company?

When I called UHC, they refused to discuss anything related to this change with me.

Bill Bettag

[CelestineT230560]

AARP made a grave mistake taking money from United Health Care or linking with them.  They are HORRIBLE!  Do not believe the hype about their rating...it's lousy in the community.  Since January 25, 2026,  I have been trying to get a response to an authorization request for a simple treatment of steroid or gel injections for my knees...it is April 15th and after numerous calls and chats with foreign agents (Swanpil and Pushka) and who knows what other out of country agent, I STILL have not gotten a response.  the answer about not filing the contract on time, etc is bollocks.  Every provider I have had to use, rolls their eyes or gives a sigh when I mention that I chose them (my mistake) when the county changed providers.  I have the same experience as you...no or insufficient response.

AARP should do better!  If AARP cannot be trusted to provide members with reliable benefits...what's the point of joining.  My next communique will be to the state insurance commissioner and maybe the current president of AARP...if I can find out how to get to them...lots of smoke screens, I feel to voice complaints.

[GailL1]

@CelestineT230560 

To clarify, your doctor has not heard back from them on the prior approval request that he or she submitted earlier in the year?  There has been no formal rejection or approval of the procedure from your plan?

Edited to add:  What do you mean by “when I mention that I chose them (my mistake) when the county changed providers.” ?  What does the county have to do with UHC?

[GailL1]

I think your doc is giving you some incorrect info - it is the providers that either accept or reject a contract - new or renewal - of a MA insurer.  This happens with all providers - doctors, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, labs - all types.  

Perhaps your provider missed the deadline of signing a new contract with UHC but they do get fair notification.  

AARP/UHC MA plans did go thru a bit of reorganization for plans effective 01/01/2026 in certain areas of the country - many plans were cancelled (mostly PPO types), thus the beneficiaries had to find new plans with one insurer or another.  Then CMS dropped the Value Based Insurance Design which many dual eligibles had (Medicare + Medicaid = dual eligible).  Then they had to find a different plan probably a Special Needs Plan but then found out that some of the extra benefits were only gonna be available to those whose doctor named and verified their multiple chronic diseases.  

It has been a new year of MA plan changes and I don’t think we are done yet either.  CMS also has put forth new rules governing prior approvals - and how risk adjustments are determined - and is catching up on the risk adjustment audits that got so far behind at one time.  All of this means that MA plans are not getting paid what they once did and now more eyes are on them in their business practices.  Like setting goals for having adequate networks.  

So times they are a’ changing.

Yes, I doubt if they could discuss a contract with any particular provider with you - think that is pretty much proprietary info. between the insurer and the provider.

[CBtoo]

What happens is that medical systems or doctor systems decide they are not going to accept certain insurances any more. UHC doesn't initiate removing them. The biggest reason (or so I have read) is that UHC has one of the highest denial rates for advantage plans. 

If you don't want network problems then get original medicare and a supplement while you still can (if you don't live in one of the states where you can change yearly without having to pass medical underwriting).

While premiums for supplements are higher than with advantage plans the maximum out of pocket is far lower and if you use health care a lot you'd save money. Likely you'd save money even if you had to buy dental, eye, etc, insurance (again presuming you are using a lot of health care and getting close to the maximum out of pocket for the advantage plan). Also Costco has some of the cheapest hearing aides on the market. Some people I know saved money over their advantage plan getting them there.