Complaint Review: Unified Daniel Gootner. America's Choice Healthplans. **Unified Health One.**

Everyone knows how ridiculously high private insurance premiums can be these days. I had the same private insurance for about two years, no complaints, except the premium was a bit steep at $500+ a month for only myself and no major medical conditions. I work for myself, so I am constantly looking for ways where I can be more frugal and still receive the same outcome, last month I cut my car insurance by 50% thanks to Geico! I had such great success with that one, I naturally moved onto my medical insurance. I contacted several of the websites for insurance, ehealthinsurance by far the best. During my 3-4 day search I received a phone call from Daniel Gootner of Unified Health One. Actually, he introduced himself with the company America's Choice Healthplans, both which I have record of. He was very friendly and quickly made me feel comfortable that not only would he save me money he would make sure my doctor took the insurance, that i would still have all the same benefits of my current (major) insurance, he would also save me money.  He asked to put me on hold and he came back with 1 option, which happened to be the Unified Health One from Americans Choice Health Plans, who also goes by NCE Unified Health One and a few other names included in this report.  Little did I know that was the planned only option that was supposedly carefully selected just for me right?

Daniel went on to tell me that the plan allowed unlimited visits to my doctor and a $50 copay. Okay sounds good I agreed, after all my major insurance limits dr visits. I also mentioned that I may be interested in maternity insurance as I was not getting any younger and I'm not sure what plans may change.  My major insurance offers it as a rider with a waiting period. Daniel said oh no problem just call when you need it and we can add that on for $100 I believe. Wow seriously, this is awesome right? He said the plan was part of a group open enrollment for National Congress of Employers (NCE), where they could offer this great deal because everyone was pooled together which took into account various pre-existing health problems mixed with normal healthy folks, allowing them to offer this great rate.  I was told next that it would be a 1 time $99 fee to join the group plan that would go to this NCE group, then a rate under $304 which was completely refundable if I chose to cancel.  They of course immediately took the money and then sent me my welcome email saying I would receive a package in the mail, which I still have not received.  The email conveniently only mentions the $99 saying the policy is $99, really? then what did you take the $304 for too? Here's exactly what it says.  Plan Type: NCE Unified Health One 750 - $99 - Individual. Effective Date: October 1, 2012. Nothing else about rates.  It was then that I quickly checked it out. The policy says a minimum of $50 for each doctor visit, which basically means you could be paying anything over that, 2nd lie.  Next, the coverage does not cover maternity at all should I ever decide the timing is right, next lie.  The confirmation of my premium cost is listed no where conveniently, so where is that going?

Next, lie it says on their FAQ email. "What will it say on my bank statement? FBO Benefit Transact Solutions or Benefits Network Association". Wrong. They got part of the word right, but instead they quickly took $404 from my bank probably before I even got off the phone and my bank statement which cleared for them on 9/14 from an El Paso, Texas address moments before my card was finally closed for obvious fraud. This was not a major insurance carrier, in fact it only covers 1 visit to the hospital per year and does not cover the whole visit. It was a discount plan. How in the world would a discount plan be equivalent to my major insurance? Which I have record of asking this guy for "the same policy of my current major provider, just looking to see if there are any comparable policies that would save some money".  I read a few other reports on here where it's apparent I'm not the first person who was taken advantage of in the exact same way.

Next before confirming the policy, they said they had to record me saying that I was accepting the policy, the guy he transferred me too, said please save any questions or comments until after we have finished recording otherwise I will have to start all over again. I was in the middle of my busy work day, otherwise this should have raised a red flag right there looking back.  Not to mention all of these rip off reports about the exact same thing. Glad I found this website, just a little too late.
I asked this Daniel Gootner guy a few times if I needed to mention my high blood pressure as a pre-existing condition as I am on medication for it and have been since the 1990s. He said unless it happened during the last 12 months where you were actually diagnosed with HBP then it would be, but since it first happened long before 12 months, you don't need to mention it because HIPPA covers you as they can't take that into account with it having first occured outside of the last 12 months.  Really? That's not what my current insurance carrier said, which is partially why I pay so much. This was obviously another roose to get my credit card # in the end which he did a very good job at reassuring me and confirming every question i had would only benefit me, it was way too good to be true. I was excited to get started with the same benefits and in some places better as he told me, but obviously none of this ended up being the truth. 

I expect to have the $303 returned as I have left both verbal and written confirmation to do so and I am also in contact with an attorney and will pursue this to the full extent if not remedied quickly. If this person or company calls you, stay far far away and if it sounds too good to be true and it's about health insurance it is.  There really is no such thing as good rate these days, sadly I had to learn the hard way.

For another reference, they will also send you a handbook after you paid of course to make it all look legit, from OptumHealth Allies as an added benefit supposedly, which by the way the average person without an insurance policy can get.  In fact it says right on it if you read under Term and Cancellation "This Is Not Insurance" - https://www.enrollment123.com/media/1081/NCE%20Advantage/NCE%20Optum%20Health%20Allies%20Member%20Handbook%205-26-10.pdf

Really sad, I can imagine an eldery person being taken by this and not realizing until it's way too late and they had been taken for hundreds of dollars if not thousands, then when they go to use their insurance nothing is covered as they were told. Especially, if they have no family, could you imagine? That breaks my heart.