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

[gaiajourney]

I am getting these phone calls every day, sometimes twice a day from United Healthcare. There is no one to talk to and no place to contact on the website regarding stopping these marketing calls from "affiliates." Make them STOP!!!!

[ms22587257]

Plagued by Optum Health calls to our land line - efforts to sign me up for something I have already completed: the annual Medicare funded (?) Wellness Check.  Almost impossible to get through on the line they supply and I had believed it was a legit operation.  I did catch one of the callers the other day, explained that I was 'good' thanks, and the calls continue! I have now used *61 to block the last incoming call. Let's see how long it takes for the next "Care Connectors" caller to use a different phone number. Argggh.

[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.

[Anonymous]

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. 

[Robert0B]

Unfortunately for you your 2024 Part D from AARP/UHC/Walgreen is doubling - yes 100% increase next year.  The deductible is also increasing.  These AARP plans are not the best by any stretch of the imagination.  They just get a ton of amazing media support because of the close to $1Billion they get for pushing them.

[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.

[MelvinK439467]

Also stay away from Humana!! They do the same thing as UHC profits over patients, thanks because of that I lost ALL of my retirement savings to pay what insurance says they don’t want to!!! Going with a different company in 2024. At least this new company has a reputation of paying their customers bills. We’ll see, can’t trust a single insurance salesman to tell you the TRUTH!!! 

[c895668l]

I'll add to that. Their main purpose of existence is not providing low cost services to you and I. They're like any other corporation. Charge consumers what the market will bear and pay the highest dividends possible to their stock holders. 

[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.

[ClaraC474743]

I have been having the same happening to me. Between United and Optum I get constant calls 1. They want me to enroll in mail order on one of my drugs, but the catch is currently it is cheaper at my local pharmacy and my Dr has to change dosage every month.  2. My Dr also has me on a generic lipator, but I don't trust it, it causes physical pain. My Dr is good, but I know my body.  Lastly I am tired of all the twits out there who think because we are a certain age we are stupid.  

[BourbonRose]

Clara, you hit the nail on the head.  Celebrating your 65th birthday (or beyond) isn't synonymous with loosing your marbles.

[ElizabethM924326]

Ask about switching to generic version of Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) -- just a bit more expensive, but fewer side effects (including less muscle/joint pain), not food sensitive (like Lipitor is with grapefruit et al).  I'm glad I switched.

[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.

[ElizabethM924326]

In my state the AARP/UHC MediGap policy was the only insurer that offered a "Community based" pricing (vs. "Issue Age" or "Attained Age"), meaning the price should not skyrocket in my later years.  Possibly that is why it was priced somewhat higher than many of the others (although still much less than some).  Granted the "Community" priced premiums will likely increase with time and inflation (as will all the others); but in the long run I should save money.

[ma1697]

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