I am sick of all these phone calls, UNITED HEALTHCARE

[ce7177]

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

[CaroleW755826]

There are 2 ways to stop these calls. One is to subscribe to the Robokiller app on your cell phone or to a similar call screening/blocking device for a home phone. Then you can either block all their calls or screen them if you prefer.

If you have a newer Google Pixel phone, it comes with an automatic call screener/blocker. And this service is free.  I have this and never get their calls. They do send an email about 1x every 2 months with a money offer. I wait until the offer exceeds $50 then schedule a visit. I don't mind the short visit for $50-$75 free.

[JonBB]

I would like to know why AARP is pushing these UnitedHealthcare Advantage plans! If they are supposed to be an advocate for the “senior citizens” of this society, what are they doing???? What are we paying them for?? It appears to me that some corporation/wealthy group has bought them off!😡😠👿

[jp2306867]

It has been reported that AARP makes over $800 million annually from United Healthcare. This means that AARP's advocacy for seniors only goes so far. They say they support traditional Medicare but there is a definite conflict of interest. Traditional Medicare is not private insurance. Medicare Advantage plans are private insurance with no connection to traditional Medicare other than their name. They deny care when it interferes with their profits.

[OneStepAtATime]

1 comment 👉(11/29/22) Yikes, I sign up next year when I turn 65 and I guess I will be "avoiding" them. Thanks for the FYI @JonBB . Nicole

[jp2306867]

I have read that AARP makes over $800 million annually from UHC. Pushing these plans seems to be a conflict of interest when they say they are supporting Medicare. Those of us on traditional Medicare do not want it privatized. The effort to do so via the REACH program hopes to entirely privatize Medicare by 2030. Very little attention is being given this. AARP does not appear to be opposing this at all.

[leonier]

I have AARP UHC medicare advantage/ Walgreens plan which saves me so much money compared to original Medicare. There's prescription coverage, dental & vision and no extra premiums. I could not make it financially without Medicare advantage programs. They all have good coverage. 

[jp2306867]

It is good that you are happy with your MA plan. But seniors need to know what they are getting when they enroll in such a plan. Traditional Medicare is not private insurance. Medicare Advantage plans are private insurance with no connection to traditional Medicare other than their name. They deny care when it interferes with their profits. I hope that never happens to you.

[GailL1]

@jp2306867 wrote

Traditional Medicare is not private insurance.

But the GAP insurance connected to it IS offered by private plans and not everybody can afford a GAP plan or want one.

@jp2306867 wrote 

Medicare Advantage plans are private insurance with no connection to traditional Medicare other than their name.

That is.NOT Right - MA plans cover everything that traditional Medicare covers just in a different way. MA plans are Part C of Medicare.

CMS governs and audits all Medicare plans and approves their participation as a PART C provider.  

MA plans are managed care type plans and there are different types - PPO, HMO, Special Needs

@jp2306867 wrote

They deny care when it interferes with their profits. I hope that never happens to you.

MA plans can only deny care if it isn’t medically necessary or if the doctor fails to document why the care is needed and the diagnosis fits the treatment plan.

Medicare has a Local Determination and National Determination of treatments - that one can check to see what is and is not covered under either type plan - Traditional or MA plan.

[JacquelineL588328]

United Health Care is literally driving me nuts. They call me 5-6 times a week & if I don't answer they start texting me. I signed with them for my insurance but the repeated calls to discuss medicine, in home visits, anything constitutes as harassment. This can't be legal if u are not sick,  by the time they finish calling u u will be. There has to be a answer & I'm already on do not call registry. They call me twice as much as telemarketers.

[RandyD417691]

United Healthcare would like to get their Medicare Advantage customers classified as requiring a higher level of care so they get a much higher level of reimbursement.
Also, I think that some of those calls are from crooks pretending to be UHC, trying to get your birth date "to confirm your identity." Someone who calls you legitimately does not need to confirm your identity. They should be able to tell you your name and spell it correctly or they are phishing.

[LindaG306015]

I second your opinion. I’m extremely disgruntled. The guy I spoke to today was more persistent than Prof. Harold Hill in “The Music Man.”  Why on earth, during a pandemic, would I allow some schmo I don’t know into my home to perform redundant tests and physical exams?  I’m not home-bound. To me, this smacks of them trying to detect if we are still “insurance-worthy.”  Maybe time to check out other Medicare options. AARP, how is this cool??

[WilliamM339603]

I don't have a problem with UHC phone calls, but I got a flyer in the mail about Medicare Advantage. Came to find out that their MA is not available in my area. Called them and the rep confirmed unavailability but could not or would not say why I got the flyer anyway. Reported to FTC, Medicare and state DOI for false/misleading advertising.

[necolson]

I agree. I have found them so intrusive and annoying that I am thinking of switching to another provider. Fortunately, I have caller ID so I never take calls from United Healthcare. I also immediately delete their emails. I personally don't need or want their nurses, housecalls and so on.

[olgar213311]

Same here - don't give information over the phone! Told them to bug OFF

[CaroleW755826]

I solved the problem of all spam calls by putting a spam blocker on both my mobile phone (Robokiller) which allows you to screen calls, answer the call, block the caller or automatically block known spammers. For the landline phone you can buy a spam blocker much better than Nomorobo (this limits your entries to 25, is not good).

[ma1697]

I had a friend who did that, and when he entered a raffle and won $2500 they could not get in touch with him because the calls were blocked.  Make sure you don't ever use that phone number for anything that may be in some way important....   like a $2500 raffle.

[DanielleM872753]

I’m getting these same calls about 2-4x a week sometimes more and they are being very pushy and insisting I verify all my information with the caller. I haven’t provided any information however I have told them numerous times No Thank you, Place me on your Do Not Call List and I was told “We can’t do that Ma’am” 

This isn’t right! The phone number starts with 443 and the Caller ID shows United Health.

[RodyS297776]

I have been facing the same problem and the worst problem is they call you during work hours. Is there any permanent solution to this problem

[RMHarley00]

Not sure why anyone would sign up with United Healthcare for a MediGap policy.  I researched both Plan G and Plan N and found that AARP/United Healthcare have some of the highest monthly premiums.  Remember that all insurers MUST offer the same benefits for each Plan letter designation.  Why would you choose one with a higher monthly premium?

My wife and I have had Mutual of Omaha Plan N for 2 years and have never had any issues.  She has had two major surgeries and we have only paid the Part B deductible for our out-of-pocket costs.

[ma1697]

Mine was the most reasonable of all premiums.  As they say, your mileage may vary.....

[GailL1]

---

@RMHarley00 wrote:

Not sure why anyone would sign up with United Healthcare for a MediGap policy. . . . .

These calls probably aren't from insurers who represent a (any) Medigap plan which a beneficiary may have in addition to their original Medicare - that's just Gap insurance.  These calls are probably from insurers who represent the beneficiary with a Medicare Advantage plan which they have chosen instead of original Medicare.  They have a high stake in keeping the beneficiary healthy; they also have a higher stake in knowing just how sick (or not) a beneficiary may be - That may include things which a doctor check up doesn't always cover like evaluating the beneficiary safety, nutrition, emotional, physical and social well-being in everyday life.

[CaroleW755826]

You are right. Housecalls is affiliated with Medicare Advantage for the very reason you say.  Last year I blocked them with RoboKiller until December when they left a message offering me and my husband $75 each for their 1/2 hour in-home 'check-up'. Why refuse $150???  I today received an email with an offer for $50 each if we accept. I'm waiting under December!!  Point is, they don't get through my screener so I never receive the calls.

[GaryS119197]

If I want a home visit I will let you know.  Really terrible idea for a high risk couple during a pandemic.  We will stick with twice yearly primary physician check up appointments or seek medical care as needed.

I get too many annoying calls already.  Reported to nomorobo.

I will not reward this unethical, inconsiderate telemarketing.

Continuation after request to stop is a violation of donotcall registry law!

$10,000 fine per occurence.

Had to tell OptumRx to knock it off, too. I don't want my meds delivered to a mailbox a block away in extreme heat or cold. 

[FrancisH736859]

They call me almost every day for surveys or prescription reminders or want me to change pharmacy.  I am 72 and I know how to dress myself and don't need someone to ask me if I have fallen lately or tell me what kind of shoes to wear.  And the Junk mail never stops?  Doctors listed in their book are not taking new patients.  Not a single Rheumatologist is listed.  Shissh!

[FrancisH736859]

I get calls almost every day to answer a survey!  I get 4, 5,6 surveys a month.  I have tried to call my navigator and he is "Never" there. I leave messages for him to return my call and it never happens.  I get junk mail every day.  They call my doctors. They want me to chsnge my pharmacy they want to remind me to fill my prescriptions.  I am sick and it never stops!

[craigm787722]

My problem is they keep trying to wedge themselves between me and my pharmacy over the frequency of refills on my blood pressure meds. My doctor has already told me that I am doing so well that I can skip a dose once in awhile or split it. They are seeing I'm not getting refills like clockwork and are calling me weekly. Last week they got pushy; a pharmacist with United called me wanting to know what issues I was having. Long story short I wound up hanging up on her after -I felt- being talked to like a senile idiot. They then apparently called my pharmacy themselves with a refill order!  My pharmacist just will disregard the refill order. I have NEVER encountered such pushiness  from any carrier and we are NOT staying with them when the time comes. BTW my BP read this week at my doctors office was 116/62.I'd say I'm doing just fine without their nannying.

[SheilaB434920]

I just received these calls from House Calls, as well, after only signing up for MedicareAdvantage through United Health Care.  When I checked the number, it comes up as spam.  They called twice, from a 443 area code and from an 866 area code.  They left a message asking me to call - not asking for me by name, not stating that it is a benefit of Advantage - nothing.  Out of curiosity, I called them.  They start asking me for specific info without first letting me know what they are about. They were quite argumentative.  I called Customer Service at United Health Care.  The first person I got was friendly but didn't seem to understand at all.  I called and got another person - understanding.  She got it - I think.  She put me on a Do Not Call list (I hope!)  I told her I did not want to be called at that number.  Given the amount of spam people get, this is not the way to go about promoting the program's services.  I told her to send info by mail or email but DO NOT CALL, especially that number.  It looks like MANY people are complaining about the same thing, so why don't they get a clue and stop calling.  I agree with all of the posts here.

[JimJ439704]

I started getting these last year also but I use Google Voice so I just blocked the number they were calling from.

They still send me mail pitching the service on me under a bad spelling of my last name.

[necolson]

I am new to Medicare and to my United Heathcare Supplement. I have to say that I, too, am getting sick of the courtesy calls from United Healthcare. Today's was to tell me that they will be calling in a couple of days with important health related questions. Thanks for the warning! I'll know not to pick up the phone then either. How do I get them to leave me alone?

I'm not even going to comment on the junk mail I receive from them every day. I signed up. Stop soliciting me.

Any guidance will be welcome because they are getting really annoying.