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I am sick of all these phone calls, UNITED HEALTHCARE

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I am sick of all these phone calls, UNITED HEALTHCARE

United Health Care: calls from 443-853-6898
I am TIRED OF THESE 2-3X wkly calls!!!!!!!!!!! wants to have a "home service" available from my medical insurance ...hang up! I NEVER gave my cell # for _this_
Caller: Home service United HealthCare?? AARP do something about it! I joined via, YOU
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Honored Social Butterfly


@EllenF159060 wrote:

It is inconvenient and they are persistent, but I am more concerned with rates being raised based on what the assessment reports back to UHC. The 'free' always seems to come with a cost.


You nor anybody else is singled out in a Medicare Advantage plan as a result of your health status.  

 

However if the insurer can rate you as a riskier health beneficiary - Medicare will pay the insurer MORE for servicing you.  There is a formula for this which comes from CMS based on the beneficiary's health status.

 

Some of these assessments are beneficial to the beneficiary.  Some insurers will include in the assessment a safety check - things around the home which could cause injury to a frail beneficiary.  

 

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with having the assessment - although I am not real keen on having any stranger in my home.  To me, the concerning part is what the assessment is used for after it is done.  Will they use it to communicate to your doctor?  Will they or somebody follow up on whatever they might determine to be a problem - previously known or unknown.  Or is it being used just to get Medicare to pay them more money because you are determined to be a riskier beneficiary.

It's Always Something . . . . Roseanna Roseannadanna
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I refuse to let the housecalls program pay me a visit.

 

It is being used just to get Medicare to pay them more money because if you are determined to be a riskier beneficiary they get paid more.

 

United Healthcare is under investigation for Medicare Fraud, if you dont believe me look it up on google.

 

At issue is data Medicare uses to make “risk adjustment” payments that are intended to compensate Medicare Advantage plans for providing coverage to beneficiaries with more complicated health problems.

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Newbie

Got one of these this morning.  Pressure tactics!  Sounded like he was from somewhere on the Indian Subcontinent.  Finally had to tell him that I did not want anyone like him to visit my house.  Don't do this folks..... "Scam" came to mind.

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Add me to this complaint. Ever since I signed up as an AARP member a few weeks ago, I have been INUNDATED with calls from UHC and they also mention CIGNA and others. I KNOW it's from being on AARP's list. I am seriously considering cancelling my AARP membership over this b.s. I read the replies here from moderators... I am only 58 years old, I have been getting mailings from AARP since I was 45. I finally decided ok fine I will sign up. And this is what I get? Harassing phone calls at least four or five times a day. I block the number, and they call from a different one. These numbers are from all over the United States. They are not toll-free numbers. I am 58 and I'm still employed. I'm not on Medicare or Medicaid. I don't need insurance. My number is on the DO Not CALL list! For God's sake STOP calling. This is grounds for reporting to Attorneys General. This is bull. AARP you should be ashamed. Cut off your connection to UHC and tell them to stop calling new members who did NOT request information. At no time did I EVER say I wanted information on insurance. Never. I wouldn't, since I am covered through my employer until I retire. 

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You may not wish to hear it, KathleenM62874, but it's a coincidence.  I'm about your age and I joined AARP this year for various reasons.  I, too, am getting the harassing calls - but the difference is that they're coming on my work cell phone, which is not a number I reveal to anyone.  These "have a blessed day" health care scammers may or may not be "We Care Health" - after all, they lie about which number they're calling from, so why not lie about the name they're using?  There's seemingly no way around it.  These calls have crazily increased in frequency this year and even though I don't answer, they still call and call.  I block every unknown call.  I have blocking software…and it's virtually useless.  

 

My solution: Don't pick up numbers that aren't in my contact list.  

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Newbie

I use to work for the housecalls program. We were yelled and screamed at all the time.   We called the same people over and over  even when they said no more calls   they didn't care they forced us to call over and over  

Uhc dont care

We were forced to get 15 to 20 appointments per day. It was like telemarketing 

We had to con members into getting it done  lie if needed

Dont do the housecalls program. It's a waste of time. They will cram it down your throat like it's the best thing in the world 

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Periodic Contributor

Thanks, Chris.

 

I was told by one of my providers just the other day that UHC is "the worst."

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Periodic Contributor

It feels like a telemarketing call. Sad. A way for them to get more $ from Medicare with little cost involved. 

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Periodic Contributor

Don’t forget all the vote this way or that way in elections. Anytime I get an email asking me to vote one Way or another; or provide me with a form to send to my elected officials. I believe that is beyond the scope of AARP.

Sure, tell us the issues, and we can decide if we need to contact our local elected official. You could even say who our contacts are, BUT DO NOT put words in individual voters mouths.

Do you really think they take it serious if there are 200 letters that are exactly the same? No.
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Gold Conversationalist


@j405912w wrote:

Add me to the club.  I have requested that they not call me.  I don't want anyone coming to my home.  My physician is on top of all my issues and the calls are a major aggravation since I get at least one a week and sometimes multiple calls.  AARP & United Healthcare need to have a way for you to opt out.  


As another commenter notes, becasue you signed up with that insurer or that sponsor, the insurer or sponsor has the right to make those calls. If the insurer or sponsor will not honor your request to stop the calls, now is the time to switch to another insurer or sponsor. However, if this particular policy is the only insurance your favorite provider or provider accepts or accept, and you want to keep that/those provider/providers, you may have no choice. But at least look into in the next few weeks.

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Periodic Contributor

I've gotten a fair number of these calls on my home phone -- since signing up for United HealthCare last year -- and have spoken to someone once, a few weeks ago. I said I have a great relationship with my PCP (which I do) and didn't need the service. SO FAR, I haven't gotten any more calls from them ... but, today, I got a call on my cell phone (which, oddly, went to voice mail but didn't show on my call log!). This was the first time the call has come from something other than an 8** number. I will probably answer if they call again -- if only to get the number on my call log, so I can block it. I, too, have no desire to be inundated with calls from UHC and agree with other commenters' complaints that they don't seem to know how to take no for an answer. I generally think AARP needs to do a MUCH better job of vetting companies before compromising its good name for money. AARP could do a MUCH better job for its members in the area of insurance offerings.
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Periodic Contributor

Thanks, Gary!

 

For what it's worth, I have gotten only very few calls in the last couple of years. (Yay!)

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Honored Social Butterfly

Several Medicare Advantage insurers do this - it is because they hope they can give you a higher risk score so that Medicare will pay them more because they get paid more if you are sicker.

 

They don't seem to be doing the house calls too much anymore but will call you and ask health questions, especially if you recently went to a doctor.

Here is an article about it from Public Integrity.

https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/06/10/14880/home-where-money-medicare-advantage-plans

 

 

It's Always Something . . . . Roseanna Roseannadanna
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2017 and these harassing calls are STILL happening! No excuse for it! 4 calls in the last week. I have told them twice to stop calling me and harassing me. They refuse to oisten and flat out LIE to me and tell me Medicare REQUIRES them to call. Thats complete BS. I told them if they had a question about my medical history to call my doctor. Again they lied and said "we cant do that". Ive got them blocked which keeps the phone fro, ringing, but they automated voice mails still pile up telling methey will call again. I will be leaving United Health Care asap, and will not be renewing my AARP membership.

 

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Newbie

Now I am getting blasted by these harrassing and illegal calls. I suggest calling/emailing/mailing your ATTORNEY GENERAL in your state and make sure they get the message about this. It is absolutely invasion of privacy and unacceptable. It sounds like we all need a national CLASS ACTION against UHC and the other companies, and possibly against AARP as well for supporting these illegal privacy invasions and harrassment. WE MUST GET IT STOPPED!!!!!

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I have had the calls for 5 years. I even moved and called today. I think they use an outside service that is an invasion of privacy

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I have had harrassing calls for 5 years now. I complained in **bleep** and today they found me in NC. I told my United rep in Tucson. Nothing could be done to stop these folks. I take good care of myself although I have a number of serious diseases. I too received about 2 to 3 calls weekly for 5 yrs. They have the answers to these questions so why ask them? It is an invasion of privacy. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

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What is the "bleep" I didn't curse

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Newbie

United Heathcare Housecalls. They have started calling me, too! Their English is not so good and there is no phone ID. I told them I would NEVER let a stranger come to my home. My doctor is only 2 blocks away. Would they like to meet me there? No!

 

When I asked them, " who is my primary care physician" they hung up. The next day another person called asking me the same thing.

 

No one in their right mind is going to allow a complete stranger into their home asking personal health questions. Would they? If AARP is allowing this....WHY? If this is legitimate it's a terrible idea.

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Cigna Health Springs Does The same exact thing, Intimidating  phone calls and they also allow a 3rd party GROUP CALLED "THE ROWLINGS GROUP" TO LOOK INTO AND EXAMINE YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS  WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE  OR PERMISSION AND MYSTERIOUSLY YOU'LL RECEIVE A LETTER FROM THE ROWLINGS GROUP ON CIGNA HEALTH SPRINGS STATIONARY, ASKING IF THE REASON YOU VISITED YOU DOCTOR ON A CERTIAN DAY HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH A PERSONAL INJURY  CASE, BECAUSE IF SO THEY WANT PAYMENT FOR YOUR TREATMENT THAT THE DOCTOR PROVIDED!!

 

TOTAL HARASSMENT!  BECAUSE I REFUSED CIGNA HEALTH SPRINGS HOME ASSEMENT VISIT, I NOTICED THIS PATTEREN, I WOULD ALWAYS GET HARASSING CALLS REJECT THE  IN HOME ASSEMENT AND VIOLA A LETTER FROM THE ROWLINGS GROUP QUESTIONING THE REASON AND NATURE OF MY DOCTORS VISIT WOULD APPEAR IN MY MAILBOX WOW, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PROTECT US FROM THIS TYPE OF HARASSMENT!  

 

AND OF COURSE CIGNA HEALTH SPRINGS CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES ALWAYS SAY; THEY DON'T KNOW  WHY YOU RECEIVED THE LETTER, AND SORRY IT UPSETS THE MEMBERS TO RECEIVE THEM, BUT CIGNA HIRED THE ROWLINGS GROUP TO DO THESE TYPES OF INVESTIGATIONS, WHAT IS GOING ON, WHERE DO YOU GET HELP FROM THIS FORM OF HARASSMENT.

 

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Periodic Contributor

That post was in 2013.  It is 2016, & these calls are still coming.  If I want a 'house call', I'll request it.  The calls come in weekly.  It is so annoying!

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Contributor

I finally bought a call blocker to zap unwanted calls. Bye-bye, United Healthcare robots!
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Newbie

Phone calls, regular mail advertisements...I dropped my membership in AARP back in 2012 because of UnitedHealthCare harrassment.  Does AARP ever respond to our complaints???

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We keep getting robocalls from United Healthcare telling us about "an important message."  The calls always come from a blocked number.  Not a great way to inspire trust.  Then if you do try to call them back at the 866 number they give, they ask for personal information.  REALLY not a great way to inspire trust! STOP THESE ANNOYING CALLS NOW!!!!!

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Periodic Contributor

I just received one of these calls for the first time, but didn't pick up as the caller id "House Calls 443-853-6898" was unfamiliar.  It left a recording to say that it's "House Calls Program: and that it's important that they speak with me.  The callback number was 866-245-8747.  I won't call for a number of reasons, the least of which is that the voice on the recorded message was a breathy young girl, ooh-ing and aah-ing, sounding as though she might offer a house call or a friendly phone chat unrelated to medical practice.  I googled "House Calls Program" and the 443 number.  United Healthcare was on the list; it's the med plan company to which AARP sold its name for what must have been a quite handsome sum, hence the "AARP Medicare Complete (Advantage?)" plan, with which AARP says it has nothing to do.  Quite distasteful commerce, methinks.  Anyhow, another item on the google list was "UnitedHealth Group."  Suspicious similarity, don't you think?  I don't even remember now which of those two the phone numbers match, but it is creepy.  The "real" United Healthcare has been promoting some sort of house-call program, but their recorded voice doesn't smack of masturbation.  If these idiotic calls keep up, I may end up hating anything that begins with "United."  In such case where would I move? 

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Gold Conversationalist


others wrote something like and
takeadvantage wrote:

... the caller id "House Calls 443-853-6898"... left a recording to say that it's "House Calls Program: and that it's important that they speak with me.   The "real" United Healthcare has been promoting some sort of house-call program...


This is an interesting series of messages in that an AARP representative on this thread promises to look into it but the complaints have been going on all around the country all year and clearly this is not the first AARP has heard of it. United sells plans in some places under its own brand so maybe these are plans over which AARP has no say.

 

And yes it appears to be related to the house-call "wellness visit" program that is one of the benefits of your health insruance.

 

Why it's done in such an annoying way is beyond me because it is a useful benefit. So all I can suggest is how to dump the annoying health insurance plan:

  • 1. If you are on Social Security Extra (SS) Help (about 20% of us are), call another Medicare health plan "sold" in your county tomorrow and sign up. You will be enrolled in the new plan and disenrolled from the annoying plan effective the first of July. (But don't cut off your nose to spite your face; the annoying plan might be a lot less costly. And make sure your favorite doctor or doctors accept the new plan you are choosing.)
  • 2. If you are on a state pharmaceutical assistance program (SPAP), follow the same procedure as in step 1. (However, although with SS Extra Help you can change Medicare health plans every month if you want, with an SPAP you can only change once a year in addition to open enrollment. So you might want to save that one-time "get out of jail free" card for another reason.)
  • 3. If you are not on an SPAP (not all states have them), see if you qualify (many higher income people do in some states), sign up and then go back to step 1. This will take a few months. (Signing up for an SPAP is a good idea just to get the one-time "get out of jail free" card even if you don't need the drug assistance... or spend very much on drugs.)
  • 4. Open enrollment is coming up in a few months. Dump the annoying company as of January 1 by signing up for a different Medicare health plan between October 15 and December 7. Look for a plan that does not have that benefit. But again -- always first when it comes to public Part C Medicare health plans -- make sure your favorite doctor or doctors accept the plan you are thinking about switching to..
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Community Manager
Community Manager

We are sorry that you are experiencing this frustration and have forwarded your comments to that department.

AARPTeri
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Newbie

I couldn't agree more. I have reported each call to www.fcc.gov as harassing calls after telling them to stop calling. Between this and the absolutely horrible service from United Healthcare, I have switched my Medicare plan. I have never dealt with such an unethical health insurance company in my life. The ony reason I am a member of AARP is because of the Medicare insurance I receive due to a permanent injury, since I am ony 40 years old. I am willing to drop AARP and its benefits just because of the poor decision they made in choosing United Healthcare as their branded health insurance. When I do become old enough to join, I will have to consider it carefully because of the insufficient effort put forth in deciding which company to use to offer healthcare for its members. I have filed complaints about them to Medicare and the state insurance commissioner. AARP should be embarrassed to associate themselves with United Healthcare.

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Which healthcare service did you change to? I am absolutely FURIOUS about all the unwanted calls (sometimes three times a day) and the changes in my coverage. I joined AARP to get a good health insurance and that has NOT happened. If I get one more unsolicitated call, I will cancel United and go without insurance.

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Yeap same here, now I get the calls a few times a week. I have them blocked from my service and my cell phone, but I get a noticed telling me I'm getting them. I didn't sign up up for AARP to get harassed.

 

Ricky


@ce7177 wrote:
United Health Care: calls from 443-853-6898
I am TIRED OF THESE 2-3X wkly calls!!!!!!!!!!! wants to have a "home service" available from my medical insurance ...hang up! I NEVER gave my cell # for _this_
Caller: Home service United HealthCare?? AARP do something about it! I joined via, YOU

 

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