UnitedHealth’s bad faith insurance practices

According to the AAJ report, UnitedHealth has been accused of bad faith insurance practices, such as:

• Misrepresenting products. In 2007, the federal government suspended UnitedHealth from marketing its Medicare Advantage program after it found that the insurer was misrepresenting its products.
• Denying and delaying claim payments. Several state insurance departments have fined UnitedHealth for wrongfully denying and delaying claim payments to policyholders and to the doctors that treat them. In fact, the American Medical Association (AMA) filed a lawsuit against the insurer for its reimbursement rates.
• Putting profits over policyholders. UnitedHealth has continually been accused of putting profits above the needs of its policyholders. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) licensed its name to three prescription drug plans under the United Health name. Unfortunately, costs under the plans tend to be more expensive than others and seniors who rely on the AARP name may be paying too much for prescriptions.

FreeAdvice.com survey: 65% of UnitedHealth customers very unsatisfied

According to customer satisfaction ratings on FreeAdvice.com, 65% of UnitedHealth customers are very unsatisfied with the insurer. Here’s how survey respondents rated the insurer:

Extremely Satisfied: 8%
Very Satisfied: 4%
Somewhat Satisfied: 10%
Unsatisfied: 13%
Very Unsatisfied: 65%

Customers posted the following comments about UnitedHealth on the website:

• United Healthcare is the worst insurance company ever. Their goal is try to put every road block possible in your way, to make reimbursement for claims impossible. They are rude to deal with and lie. They are in the market to make money by denying you and your family the care you need. I give this company an F-.
• United Healthcare indiscriminately raised our daughter's monthly meds co-pay from $1,100 to $1,834. Their explanation? We can do whatever we want. File an appeal if you don't like it.
• Have a 35% increase in monthly premium this year with an additional $1,000 co-pay on top of first $4,000 claims are my responsibility. What insurance?
• Impossible to speak with a supervisor, phone clerks are rude and each one gives a different answer to the same question. Repeated, systematic denial of mental health claims that are clearly covered by my policy with no real explanation of why, assured each time it is going to be taken care of just to find out a month later it is denied again for some reason that makes no sense. Never actually notified it is denied, I have to call and ask.

If UnitedHealth has denied or delayed your valid claim, they may have acted in bad faith. To contact an attorney whose practice focuses in this area of the law, please click here. Consultations are free, without obligation and strictly confidential.