My complaint is against United Healthcare and how they deal with subscribers. I have logged over 5 hrs of telephone communication with United Healthcare in a 2.5 week period (from 4/20-5/6). I have been misinformed about information in my account and am enraged with UHC's Care Coordination Department, Appeals Department, and Benefits and Eligibility department.

United Healthcare needs to improve both its voice networking system, making it easier to navigate from one department to the next without having to repeat all of the same initial subscriber information, and it needs to improve the quality of their customer service agents, both in terms of their communication skills and knowledge of UHC's system.

Our child was admitted to an inpatient intensive care unit. United Healthcare has weekly "doc-2-doc" calls with the treating physician. We were just told by UH told that our doctor recommended immediate release and that further coverage would be denied. Amazingly, this is at best a misrepresentation of the conversation. At worst, an outright fabrication of the truth. Almost needless to say, we are fighting to ensure our childs healthy recovery, but are woefully inexperienced in the insurance process and understand that we are up against this country's most notorious health care provider, who has a national reputation for mistreating its customers. Since we were not a party to the conversation we can't say for certain what was said by our child's doctor, but are trying to insert ourselves into the process to make certain this does not happen again. I have owned my own company for many years, but fortunately have not ever placed my group coverage with UH. Thank fucking god for that sliver of good luck. Too bad Congress - Democrats and Republicans - can't muster the intestinal fortitude to correct this problem. We're on our own out here.

Since becoming a member of United Healthcare about 31/2 months, I have been denied, at least 5 times, medication that my previous Insurer has paid for, without question. They farm out prescription services to Medco. I have followed their procedures, and still they make me change to a cheaper medication, even though my doctor thinks he is prescribing what is best for me. Their job is to "be the judge" of what you get. If your plan does not cover what your doctor thinks is best for you, you and your doctor have to follow an appeal process. They will spend hours and hours on the phone, just to keep a patient from getting something they don't want to pay for. They will send you an authorization, or an appeal form, but by this time, you have already left your doctor's office, and are waiting at your pharmacy, then gone home. Sometimes you can get your meds, and sometimes you just have to deal with it. If they are so worried about their bottom line, they should be cutting better deals with the pharmaceuticals, but they already do that, don’t' they? Or maybe raise their rates. Oh, yes, they have done that too. They even want me use a pill cutter to cut my one med in half, just so they don't have to buy both dosages. Since most of the competing healthcare insurance companies have been gobbled up by Aetna, United and others, their simply is not as much choice for employers to shop around for quality, affordable plans for their employees. Period. If members of the U.S. Congress had to deal with a fraction of this hassle, they would be changing the law in a New York minute! Keeping people out of the hospitals by the use of drugs already is a proven approach for everyone. Why keep that medication from us, so that we get sicker, and risk an even bigger claim? The answer is that they know we have no one in our corner, as they do in Washington. I urge people with issues of abuse of power, and denial of service to let their thoughts be known, or it will never change. I also urge anyone who is trying to buy health care insurance, to find out all the details you can before you sign up, because after that, it's too late...

I have a son who receives "covered" Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy weekly, and for the last entire year, United Healthcare has HABITUALLY processed the claims incorrectly and/or unbelievably slowly.

The 1-800 agents are rude, incompetent, and the "claims appeal" process is a joke. I literally call them on a weekly basis and get no clear direction on how they want the bills to come/how I should file. For my company, we only have a year to appeal claims and United just runs the clock out on you.

Additionally, the pharmacy coverage is laughable. Btw, I work for a mid-size company (approx 26k employees).

After dealing with insurance claims for several years now, UHC is definately the WORST in paying for claims. When confirming benefits their representatives NEVER tell you if a pre-determination is required on particular claims, therefore dozens of claims get processed and denied because their lack of explanation. Also they have come to the conclusion that although your benefits state IV Sedation is a covered benefit, they DENY it every single time its submitted. I have thousands of dollars in unpaid claims due to UHC, and the consequence is that the patient gets stuck with UNPAID claims and high bills even though they pay their monthly fees for this ridiculous insurance company that does not even care for covering healthcare expenses. It should be named United HealthSCAM!!!