Optum RX - STAY AWAY

[rtiredjoe]

I can attest as to the fact these people are frustrating and ridiculous to deal with. Some of this may be due to another fact that a lot of calls getr routed overseas. 

I had ordered a medication...thinking it was about $25.00. When I got it...it was $125.00!!! I called and after about 3 weeks and several "other phone contacts" with these idiots...was told to send back the mediaction and they would get my account in order my... as they had "locked" my account. This was back in early September. Medication was sent back (received by them on 9/30/19). 

They had  charged my credit card the $125 in early August...then reversed the charge same time...and then later tried to bill my credit card again ($125) in early September! The September charge was not placed! After another series of calls...by the end of September I was confident the issue had been resolved. Not to be! 

Late November...thinking my account was OK...I reordered 2 medications and was told it was fine. Just needed to contact my doctopr for authorization. A few days later I get an email from OptumRX notifying me of an issue (Dr. authorization). I call AGAIN and "supposedly" get it fixed. Asking them again about getting my meds and the time frame. They tell me about 12/13/19 I'd get them.

TODAY I get a letter in the mail...saying my meds have not been filled and for me to contact my doctor or call them. I call them and am told there's a "Lock on MY Account" due to the past due $125.00!!! WTF??? Now I'm really pissed!!! Had rep get me in toiuch w/a "Supervisor" (Stupervisor) and she tells me they will get account "unlocked" (she's waiting now for an authorization via email to do so) and she will ca;ll me back tonight to verify such. Offered to overnight meds once cleared up. We'll see if any of this actually happens. 

"A THOUGHT ON THIS": If they can't get this dine correctly...can I even count on the fact that they will fill my prescription w/the correct mediaction in the correct amounts of dosage??? 

[ninakohn]

Peggy, that's terrible! I think they all suck, pardon the language. I worked in medical offices most of my adult life and it's getting worse and worse. I don't know if this pertains to you but sometimes the Dr's office (usually a provider) inputs I prescriptions wrong... I saw it happen all the time. Everyone is so rushed and crazy these days because nobody wants to pay to have enough staff regardless, of where it is. I do remember Caremark being pretty good, but the problem is, with all of them, they change their formularies all the time and want you to take what they cover and all the insurance companies have their own. It's horrible. I saw patients decide not to take their drugs because it wasn't covered! We're talking blood pressure and diabetes meds! I used to fight with the insurance companies all the time but it gets harder and harder. It brought me to tears, the injustice of it all. They have stupid people answering the phone that go through a cookie cutter form that has nothing to do with the patient's situation. It's a nightmare to get to a pharmacist on the line.  I'm glad I just retired but let me tell you, Medicare D was so scary for me to choose, even with all my 30 years of knowledge. I still don't know if I made the right choice! Good luck with everything, Peggy, you'd think now that we've retired, we'd have less stress. I miss my job paying for my insurance 

Nina

[GailL1]

@PeggyW881599 

You can also file a complaint with Medicare.

Medicare.gov - Filing complaints about your health or drug plan 

Time to switch - open enrollment is now going on until December 7, 2019

[PeggyW881599]

All AARP members who have been screwed by Optum should go to the "Contact Us' and send AARP a message. They should not be recommending them to the membership. Recently we changed insurance and had OptumRX forced upon us. We had Aetna before and used the Caremark system, which was great. I started over a month ago trying to move over my prescription. My doctor has had to call in the prescription three times. I've had to call 4 times. Each time the agent I reach first gives me the wrong information, several versions of the wrong info. First they say the reason it didn't ship was because it was set up as an auto refill (ugh?). Then they say it is fixed and I should receive by x date. Then I say that doesn't make sense, they look closer and then they say my insurance doesn't cover it because it is a brand name. I say the generic equivalent is fine, the don't make the brand name anymore. All you can get is the generic. Then they say they have fixed it and I will receive by date. X date comes and goes, no emails, no phone calls, and no prescription. Then I call again and go through the same routine. Four times. Today I was SCREAMING at the agent. I said I would not get off the phone until I had a tracking number. I refused to accept her lies and finally they transferred me to a US based agent (her words not mine). Turns out someone had clicked that I would only accept the brand name prescription (God only knows why) and that was why it kept crashing. Again, no phone calls, no emails, the request just disappears. The US agent had seen this happen before. The problem is the call center, the first person you get is out of country, new, inexperienced and they very simply lie. They tell you what you want to hear to get off the phone. I had to tell the agent, Maind, that I would not get off the phone without a tracking number that showed I would receive the drugs tomorrow. I basically refused to budge 6 times saying "nothing ia acceptable except these drugs will be received tomorrow." She finally said she would transfer me to a US agent but it was only because I said repeatedly I would not budge.

These are drugs I need to live. I have Parkinsons. Stress is very bad for me and this has caused incredible stress.

The link to check your order status in the email you receive confirming your order sends you to UnitedHealthcare. No way to get to the order status from there! And option to send a message from the 'Contact Us" on the OptumRx site doesn't work.

So they are incompetent at all levels! I plan to complain loudly to United Healthcare and to our employer for choosing a company that is so bad. Given the reviews posted I am not the only disgruntled one our there.

[RayAnita1981]

I agree!

What a nightmare they are to deal with.

[GloriaH749221]

OptumRx is the WORST pharmacy we have ever dealt with. They are minimally competent. I would advise everyone to stay away from this company.  They seems to have little to no quality control. 

[ninakohn]

You’re right. In my previous experience working in the medical field getting prior authorizations for medication, all the pharmacist has to do is provide the insurance company with the ICD 10 code, which is the diagnosis code, and Medicaid usually will pay, at least in California. You also don’t have to use your insurance and look for a pharmaciy that takes Good Rx with a low co pay. You can save hundreds of dollars, seriously. 

[ninakohn]

Good Rx is a wonderful service! Thank you for mentioning it. I think you still need to be enrolled in a Medicare D program in general but I’m going to sign up with the one that has the cheapest premium and use Good Rx as well. Too bad insurance companies rip off seniors, it’s a disgrace! 

[ninakohn]

I totally agree with you!! I spent 45 minutes with customer service and a pharmacist on the phone today. I am in the middle of choosing a Medicare D provider and I was appalled at what I was told. I just retired and I worked in the medical field for over 25 years. One of my jobs was to get prior authorization for patients mediation so I know the ropes and what constitutes good medical care. I take a particular medication and one of companies who manufactures it makes a product that causes side effects and makes me sick. I was told I had no choice of pharmaceutical companies to choose from. I would get whatever they had on hand for the day or week or whatever!  I asked if it mattered if it made me sick and was told I could try to get a prior authorization for brand name. Ha ha... what a joke. Medicare will not pay for brand names, even if you’re dying on the street and even if the medication is brand name only. You have no idea how long I have spent on the phone arguing with an idiot or idiots who want to practice medicine without a license and give someone something THEY think would be an appropriate substitute. No no! I spoke to Express Scripts today and they take these things into consideration and had more than 6 pharmaceutical companies to choose from. I’m not sure how their prior authorizations go because Medicare keeps changing their formularies but I’ll go with a company who cares if I get heart palpitations from a medication and have a pacemaker anytime! 

[j74451t]

 I have had it with this company!  Briova Rx was magnificent in their caring, meticulous handling of my mail order prescriptions, my pharmacy questions and truly caring about my physical ( and emotional!) well being. The opposite is true of Optum.  Among the problems I have encountered:

1) Overcharged $200. for a prescription TWO years ago....14 phone calls...promised tracking #’s then giving me a Reference #...with no follow up. Another 1 hour and 17 minutes of my life just now only to receive yet another Ref#.,

2) OptumRx CHANGED my doctor’s prescription order!  The amount of medication...and, of course, the price.

3) Orders promised, not received.  The required equipment to use this medication...not received.  

I would not only advise everyone to stay away, I would urge those of you who have been duped into using Optus (rather than companies like BriovaRX,) to send Op-Ed’s to newspapers, to Medicare, to your local representatives.  

This is company needs to be shut down immediately!!  Needless to say, I will be changing prescription drug plans this fall.