United Healthcare, Carol Stream, Illinois AARP Medicare Advantage-United Healthcare They demanded money from a disabled adult who never contracted for their services. Carol Stream Illinois
United Healthcare's business practices are despicable and unethical. We never contracted with them either directly or indirectly through Medicare and they never paid any money for my son's doctors' visits or prescriptions. Medicare sent my son a letter regarding his disability status and ceased paying benefits.
Thereafter, we received a bill from United Healthcare for services they claimed to have rendered for January and February 2020. We sent them a letter but received a response touting their excellence and demanding payment. To avoid having his credit tarnished, we paid them.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Jim
Anaheim,United States
Your Problem Isn't With United Healthcare
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, April 20, 2020
Medicare sent my son a letter regarding his disability status and ceased paying benefits. This statement makes it very clear your problem is with Medicare. Your son did not qualify to have your son's medical bills paid for through the Medicare program. You signed a standard agreement with your doctor making you responsible for your son's bills if Medicare would not.
We never contracted with them either directly or indirectly through Medicare and they never paid any money for my son's doctors' visits or prescriptions. Well, you probably did. Medicare utilizes United as one of its primary Health Insurance carriers. Accordingly, whether you knew it or not, you did at least indirectly utilize this carrier for your health insurance needs through Medicare.
Thereafter, we received a bill from United Healthcare for services they claimed to have rendered for January and February 2020. Because what they did was reimburse the doctor for the claim through Medicare, and then Medicare determined that the reimbursement should not have been made (reference the letter you received from Medicare). So you received the invoice from the Health Insurance company to reimburse them for paying the doctor.
Now, let's say you claim the insurance company should not have reimbursed the doctor, so you should not have received a bill from the insurance company. So then Medicare gets the money back from the doctor. What happens next? Then you would have received a bill from the doctor, since the doctor was not reimbursed for services rendered. What's the problem with that? Because doctors receive only a fraction of what they should have received from an insurance company for Medicare patients. If the doctor billed you, then you would have been invoiced for the FULL amount of the invoice - which I figure is at least 50%-60% more than what you paid United Health/Medicare.
Your problem is with Medicare - bottom line.
Stacey
Texas,United States
Question
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, April 20, 2020
You had no clue that UHC was your Medicare Advantage provider?? I work with all Medicare Advantage and Medicare insurance at my job and many do not know that when they sign up for Medicare that they have a option to chose traditional Medicare or a Advantage which then is contracted with a business that you chose with the lowest cost. Therefore when you get your card from Medicare it will state the program you chose for the plan. Therefore I am confused that you did not know that you were signed up with UHC.