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Periodic Contributor

Optum RX - STAY AWAY

If you go to a pharmacy and they hand you a prescription then tell you it cost $160, you have the choice of handing it back.  NOT WITH OPTUM RX.  Website said no co-pay.  Prescription recieved then credit card bill arrives with $160 charge.  Called Optum RX.  They will not accept any return nor issue any refund.  Called Regions Bank to dispute charge.  They refused to accept dispute but charge penalties and interest while reviewing my case and reported a late payment to credit bureaus.  The whole experience has been BAD!!!

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My doctor prescribed a medication which was very pricey and I was able to use Optum Rx to find an alternate more affordable medication. I am sure it helped that   my Optum Rx profile is set not to autofill any prescription  but to wait for me to make an order.  I was able to take the information I got from Oprum Rx back to my doctor and got him to change my prescription to the cheaper medicaiton.

 

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I am totally fed up with this company. Will be changing Part D in October. Have had this company for 3 years. They have screwed up more scripts than I can count. I have spent endless hours with them and United healthcare. They are all the same outfit. STAY AWAY is correct. They have billed my card when not approved to. Caused overdrafts in my bank. Sent drugs when not ordered. Now there is a disputed charge and they said they would remove but will not. Bad outfil all around. AARP should be better at helping us sort this out. Get a new company. Things really went downhill more with Optima in the past 6 months. So something has changed there..Whether foreign drugs or mismanagement.

 

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Newbie

Totally agree with all! This company is horribly inefficient. Something needs to be done.
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Newbie

I just had another nightmare experience with Optus RX. Without a doubt, they are the most woefully inadequately run business ever. Hours on the phone with people who cannot answer questions. Here was my question...would you please email me instead of calling me when you need prior approval? The answer was ‘I’m not sure.’ No kidding, the idiot actually said that. I am absolutely outdone with them. But it appears we have no recourse. What would it take to get support from AARP on this?

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Periodic Contributor

I do NOT think AARP cares.

 

1. Look at Wikipedia, AARP undercut having a better universal healthcare for citizens. I don't believe in a single payer system for many reasons (1st of all the other options FUND Medicare's shortfalls).

2. They are a marketing company. Even with their Tax-aide program, they are now collecting more and more data FROM YOU. 

 

BEWARE OF AARP. I am not a member anymore.

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Contributor

Fully agree -- the service has deteriorated sharply.   Instead of fulfilling my recent oprder, AOPTUM RX cancelled the entire prescription!

Back to your neighborhood pharmacy!

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I have just had yet another unpleasant, time consuming and frustrating experience on the phone with optum.  In the last 2 months there have been so many, it has consumed a total of 20 hours, with no resolutions.  I have even called United Health Care to try to give them feedback on the lack of accuracy, efficiency, and resolution  in the information they give their customers.  There have been more instances than I can recount here.  After spending yet another hour on the phone with UHC trying to straighten out a mess optum made of my statin and blood pressure meds, I gave up and decided to hit the on line sites to give accounts of their horrible service.  One of the last encounters even consisted of an employee asking me if I had ever talked to him before.  I said no and he said there are 10,000 empIoyees at optum and how should he know what any of them had told me in the past. I should give him a chance to solve my problem.  When I told him the problem he said I had called the wrong #, (Even though I was transfered to him by another optum employee) and he hung up on me.  This after I waited 45 moniutes on hold to talk to a human.  I was surprised to see how many reports of similar issues other people have had.  While it was reassuring that I wasn't crazy and not alone in this pain, I was disgusted that they continue to get away with this horrible service.

Buyer beware!  Don't use them!  They can't get it right.  And we are the ones that suffer.  Also, shame on United Healthcare for associating with them and using them to manage their prescription plan.  And Shame on AARP for having their name used in connection with them.

In this day of on line ordering and impersonal purchasing, the loops that are built into this system are trapping the consumer, giving us no way to resolve problems, talk to coherant human beings and removing our ability to problem solve.  What a sad state for all of us.

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Regular Contributor

Had a medication order a couple of months ago they decided to ship fedex for no reason but they sent it signature required. 

 

The fedex man ran up the front stairs left a note on my door and ran back to the truck - they won't call - he didn't even ring the bell.  I could see the back end of the truck as he drove away. I was able to get fedex to have him return and that time I was lucky enough to get him just as he was leaving ANOTHER note on my door saying no one came to the door.  I'm on the third floor and cannot reach the first floor in that kind of time.

 

I spent well over an hour on the phone with Optum that day telling them fedex delivery isn't going to work for me but since talking to anyone at Optum is like talking to a door here we are again they shipped this next order out Federal Express AGAIN. 

 

I just got off the phone with someone at Optum - after the phone system asked me several times for different identifying information - the rep who was an obvious English as a third language employee started asking me the same information all over again.  Then AFTER I explained the situation they asked me for the name of the prescription - I said its the only thing whose status on my account is 'in delivery' then they explained that a signature is necessary to which I stated BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY from Fedex. 

 

A USPS delivery could be held at the Post Office which I'm two city blocks from and I could sign there getting it at 9am when they opened.

 

That apparently is WAY TOO MUCH for Optum to process so tomorrow I will sit outside my house ALL DAY - because the delivery window is anytime before 8pm and wait for a refrigerated medication that if it doesn't make it to me will GO BAD.

 

Incompetence personified. 

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Newbie

I have been dealing with this company for 18 months. More often than not, they tell me that an order is in process, when it will ship and arrive but it does not arrive. So I have to go online, check to see if I can determine what went wrong, wind up calling customer service, get little to no useful information, elevate it to a supervisor, get different information, speak to their web team and get yet different information. Almost every order I place takes over 90 minutes of my time.

 

Their system is supposed to send confirmation of orders via email and text message and is supposed to send notifications if anything is delaying an order. I NEVER have received even one notification for the 12 times orders did not ship and customer service never can tell my what went wrong.

 

I manage from the East Coast of the US the care of my mother and also my sister who live in Arizona. In virtually every case that I place an order, I have to spend more time on the phone with OptumRx than would be the case if I were to drive 30 minutes round trip to a local pharmacy, wait 20 minutes for the order to be filled, package it up, address it to my mother or sister, drive 10 minutes to the post office, wait 10 minutes to be served, and drive 10 minutes back home.

 

I am in search of another mail order pharmacy that accepts her insurance and will switch in a heartbeat. OptumRX has the worst customer service I ever have experienced. By the time I get off the phone with them, I am trembling with anger.

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Regular Contributor


@bc12559187 wrote:

I have been dealing with this company for 18 months. More often than not, they tell me that an order is in process, when it will ship and arrive but it does not arrive. So I have to go online, check to see if I can determine what went wrong, wind up calling customer service, get little to no useful information, elevate it to a supervisor, get different information, speak to their web team and get yet different information. Almost every order I place takes over 90 minutes of my time.

 

Their system is supposed to send confirmation of orders via email and text message and is supposed to send notifications if anything is delaying an order. I NEVER have received even one notification for the 12 times orders did not ship and customer service never can tell my what went wrong.

 

I manage from the East Coast of the US the care of my mother and also my sister who live in Arizona. In virtually every case that I place an order, I have to spend more time on the phone with OptumRx than would be the case if I were to drive 30 minutes round trip to a local pharmacy, wait 20 minutes for the order to be filled, package it up, address it to my mother or sister, drive 10 minutes to the post office, wait 10 minutes to be served, and drive 10 minutes back home.

 

I am in search of another mail order pharmacy that accepts her insurance and will switch in a heartbeat. OptumRX has the worst customer service I ever have experienced. By the time I get off the phone with them, I am trembling with anger.


Same here my blood pressure must be sky high after dealing with them.  I'd wager there is a high incidence of stroke or heart attack with people that have to deal with them.  I can immediately tell I have reached someone who doesn't understand English from what I believe is a Philippines English accent.

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Twice OptumRx has sent medications to my husband and I that have not been requested.  Today my husband received a text message that OptumRx had reached out to his doctor and sent a refill of a medication that he has plenty of and did not order.  He called Optum and, after listening to a recorded sales pitch, tried to tell the rep that he did not request and does not want this medication. She wouldn't listen, kept talking over him, and to top it off, kept calling him "Ma'm" because his name is Dana.  Needless to say, sending medications not requested and billing Medicare should be a fraululent activity and I think they try to get away with it.  The deductible for this will be declined through our credit card company and the medication will be refused and sent back to Optum.

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Periodic Contributor

My recommendation:

 

Start calling United Healthcare AARP enrollment line in your state. Let them know you will NOT be renewing.

 

Additionally, I am starting to wonder if they are in violation of Medicare rules. Does anyone know an attorney or an advocate agency? 

 

It won't let me paste link. Search Modern healthcare CMS fines 17 rx...... it lists MN UHC in that article. 

 

Even if they have an agreement on their website or app agreements to terms to use, if they do not let you OPT out of prescriptions:

1. YOU didn't approve and/or you did NOT give dr authorization to do so,

2. or they told me by not keeping credit card on file then no rx would be sent (baloney they did anyway), they told me to follow their rules BUT didn't matter.

 

I think they are violating rules! 

 

I didn't renew. Call YOUR local MEDICARE AARP line and start to complain. 

 

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Has anyone had a problem with receiving a bad batch of drugs? I switched to Optum after joining United Healthcare a year ago, to save money. I receive two drugs from them, one a name brand which I haven't had any issues with. The other is atenolol/chlorthalidone, a generic med which I've taken for years and had no problem with (combination blood pressure and diuretic med).  At the same time as my last refill of atenolol, I noticed that it had basically stopped working....my blood pressure shot up and my feet started swelling badly. I went to my doctor and got a different prescription for both ailments, filled them locally, and they cured the problems immediately. This has me really wondering, since it's quite a coincidence that both drugs so immediately stopped working just as I switched to this new refill. Hopefully a coincidence is all it is, but being a generic and very likely coming from some third-world country, I'm really wondering if I got a refill of either expired meds or not what they were advertised to be.........  

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as was reported in the news, a lot of generics are coming in from China and some from India. The FDA is not monitoring the situation enough. Generics have skyrocketed in price, and they are often inferior if coming from foreign countries. I also have noticed that my pharmacy has gone to a new supplier of generics, and I feel like my blood pressure medicine has stopped working also. The problem is no one tells us which generic is coming from where? We are forced to buy generics when the brand name is more effective. the FTC needs to investicate. 

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I am a long time AARP member but also a Health Insurance for Medicare agent & I sell only Med Supps as well as Part D Rx Drug Plans. This being the case, one of the health insurance companies I represent is UnitedHealthcare for the past 9 years.  I am curious as to what kind of problem you have been having with which I assume is UnitedHealthcare's Mail Order Pharmacy Rx OPTUM Rx and when you call UHc's membership desk & explain the problem, what is their response?

 

 

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Periodic Contributor

I can only respond for myself but I will try and be as accurate as possible. When I called the number the person that answered I think was at their home as I heard a dog barking and some child in the backround. The first response to my asking why my drug was suddenly unlisted for formulary pricing was that I was sent information with the changes for 2019.....which was not true, no notification was given. Her response was yes I was and too bad kind of attitude. When I asked for a supervisor it took 12-15 minutes to get the second person on the line and again through the whole process of the drug etc. The basic response was get the doctor to select some other manufacturer....ok why?....what is the differences in the drug composition etc.....he of course did not know. Ultimately my DR....selected a different drug after numerous phone calls. I went out to see if other Ex plans also excluded this manufacturer ....NO NOT ONE.....5 different companies approved the formulary at a 30% less than what I am paying now. As I have pereviously stated I will be getting rid of all  AARP recommended halthcare items as I have found better covereage in different areas for less money......shame on me for not doing my homework.....that includes silver sneakers coverage

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Honored Social Butterfly

@whatsupdoc 

I am not involved in this but from keeping up with the complaints here, the problem, or at least a few of them,  seems to be involving situations when there is a credit card attached to the online account.

 

1.  automatic refill option of maintenances meds is chosen and for one reason or the other, the benficiary does not need a refill at that time or perhaps it has been discontinued by the doc and

the med provider wasn't notified.

 

2.  OR there is a price increase on the medicines being reordered and there is NO mention of this when the med is ordered online - many of the complaints say that there is no price given at check out.  Thus there is a big surprise amount when the credit card bill arrives.

 

Those are some of the ones which I remember as complaints here.  I do not know how the registration for online registration is done but what might seem to be a real convenient thing turns into a disaster - perhaps "online", supposed convenience, is not that great for some people - you still gotta inform and stay on top of it.

 

It's Always Something . . . . Roseanna Roseannadanna
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I have used Optumrx since 2007 and the formulary has changed a few times but getting an exception for any meds that were dropped in my case has not been difficult. Yes, it does get irritating when it happens but your doctor should be able to get it taken care of for you. Put a little leg work in yourself. I do not do autopay for any bill I have since I never know if someone with that access will take out funds that are not there and overdraft my account. Use common sense and you will be safer. 

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Periodic Contributor

I do not think the question is that these companies change the formulary but what AARP doest to protect their base against negative services. It would seem that the orginal practices or should I say directions ofthe organization have changed to a more political or maybe financil view

 

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😩 bad idea here but i like readimg these. I am an advocate with optumrx. I read these so i can anonymously send management tickets on what wr can do better. I agree with some of this. But pricing wise please know we get prices from the insurance and they tell us what youll pay. Just know im here to express these concerns! Im so so sorry yall were not treated right!

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Newbie

Seriously? In my opinion the only way Optumrx can help is to close up shop and let us deal with honest pharmacies like CVS and Express. You are the worst 

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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. 

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Periodic Contributor

I agree!

What a nightmare they are to deal with.

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Newbie

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??? 

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I agree Optum is the worst. We had express scripts and they had great service. The non native English speaker customer support staff just read from a script. I am going to get hard copies of all my prescriptions and physically take them to Walgreens. I didn't do my homework on this decision. 

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Contributor

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.

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Newbie

I am having the same issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It has been a nightmare!!!!  I started with them Jan1 with our new coverage and I have been on the phone several times and my doctors trying to get my medications transferred.  They are useless!!!!

Caremark was awesome, NEVER had these issues, none!

I had a heart attack 2 years and I had to fight to get NITRO!!!!  Unreal!!!!

Why did United Health Care go to these idiots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Contributor

Same problems here. I’ve tried to order meds on three occasions each time I had to call. The app is horrible, missing prescriptions or meds listed under the wrong family member. No phone number listed to call and no prices visible until you place the order. Last call was an hour long to get my daughter’s arthritis med. They to deny my request to speak to the Pharmacist. I strongly recommended avoiding this company. Unfortunately we have no choice as it is through my husband’s employer. No customer service and meds are 3x the cost of Medco.
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Regular Contributor

Hi Pamela
You’re Dr should to send refills or new Rx’s  to Optum either via electronic submission, call or fax. There is nothing you can do about their formulary if Rx is not on their list but whoever handles prior authorizations your Drs office can try to do that if your Dr thinks it’s detrimental to your health to change. Do not use the app to refill drugs. Call your Drs office for them to submit them. Not much else I can say. Did you call the phone number I posted? Sorry you’re going though this but Optum insurance is not the best. Good luck. 
Nina
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Thank you for the help . Our Doctors have submitted scripts electronically and followed all the necessary procedures but this company has continued to make mistakes. We had two more problems since my first post that took hour long phone calls again. I’ve only had one problem with formularies that was resolved by a doctor appeal. Just a total lack of competence on the part of this company.
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