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Insurance company (United Healthcare) hardball tactics

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
One of our active PR members needs your help. It's about something a lot of us with ME/CFS go through when dealing with insurance companies.

Last year, she posted this video on YouTube showing the runaround she got from United Healthcare, documenting the many lies the "customer service" reps told her and the times the reps hung up on her.


Now that the video has reached 2400 views, United Healthcare has started proceedings against her on YouTube. United Healthcare wants her to remove the word "Hell". She says she will as soon as United Healthcare starts not putting their patients through hell.

Please send a message to United Healthcare by watching the video and liking it and then sending it onto your friends.

We've got to stick together against insurance companies that try to wiggle out of their obligations.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I just watched the video and thank you for posting it @Learner1. This video gave me PTSD and United Health Care was the insurance that put my family through HELL :fire: by denying care to my mom while she was dying of cancer. They deliberately lied to my elderly father telling him that services were covered while simultaneously telling the hospital that they were being denied.

My mom did not get to transfer to a facility that could have provided the proper level of care for her final days and they created unnecessary conflict within my family b/c they blatantly lied to my dad and he kept believing them. My sister and I, along with the hospital staff, kept telling him that UHC was blatantly lying to him, literally to waste time so my mom would die before getting the care she needed.

I remember feeling so desperate that I got on my hands and knees on the hospital floor and begged my dad to please let me take over the case and sign power of attorney of my mom over to me and my sister so we could speak to UHC and it upset my mom so much that she started crying and begging God to just let her die so we wouldn't have to go through the stress of dealing with this insurance company.

I have not thought about this in a long time and am sobbing and my hands are shaking and I can barely breathe while typing this. My mom's final days on earth were not peaceful because of the pure greed of United Health Care and I still feel tremendous guilt that I could not fix it for her in time.

This video must stay on YouTube.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Last year, she posted this video on YouTube showing the runaround she got from United Healthcare, documenting the many lies the "customer service" reps told her and the times the reps hung up on her.
When I was reassessing my Medigap policy with an insurance advocate he told me that my coverage with United Health was not an individual policy but rather a group policy (apparently all of United Health's Medicare Medigap policies are group). He advised me to change to another company, which I did. I didn't personally have any trouble with United Health but hearing these stories is awful and I'm glad I changed.
 

jesse's mom

Senior Member
Messages
6,795
Location
Alabama USA
I watched the video and it is true that this is horrible! It also brings to mind what Blue Cross Blue shield does to patients. It is very specific hell. Another reason I am glad that CFS/ME is becoming taken more seriously in my area.

The minute that BCBS gets any idea that a healthcare issue is Psychological and that they can throw you over into the Mental health sector they will, Then if you need care that is "out of network" they will. All choice is then thrown out of the patient's hands.

We have two children that have problems with addiction. My son was on our insurance and was dealing with a nasty addiction to heroin. He came home and really wanted help. Our carrier said so problem, so we found a good treatment center and got him a bed. WHILE he was in my home starting to detox. Vomiting, pain and a family on FIRE! The treatment center called while we were about to put him on a plane to California, saying the insurance company was denying coverage. Now I am in the CAR with my son in full blown DETOX!

Three days I spent in the same type of blame shifting and lies, while I just did the best I could with my son. In the end the insurance covered nothing! AT ALL for him.

WE got him detoxed and back to his apartment and into NA meetings ourselves and never heard from American Behavioral again. Period. I guess he was serious about wanting to stop because that was over 5 years ago.

I am now just this past year on Medicare due to SSID, but my family is still paying the skyhigh monthly payments of more than $1,500 a month!

If they decided CFS/ME is mental health I would just have to die of neglect!
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
That is insurance hell. There's no other word for it. That's an excellent video. I don't know how she got it made. And I totally agree that level of obstruction has to be intentional. It's a miracle she got through. Most people would not have the stamina to deal with that. It's like punching a marshmallow. But the company can just claim some sort of clerical error instead of admitting to intentionally defrauding customers of benefits. When I figure out how to sign into google (why do I have to do that to like the video!), I'll click the "like" button.

@Gingergrrl - I remember the hell you went through with your mother. I'm so sorry. this company is getting off easy with this video compared to what they deserve.
 

jesse's mom

Senior Member
Messages
6,795
Location
Alabama USA
@Mary , you have to sign into Youtube or Youtube via google to "like" a video.
All this insurance is giving my PTSD and flashes of me Facing off with AT&T also. and these companies make plenty of $$$ ! I am going to have to call AT&T next week as our phone and internet bill is more than our power bill!!!

Probably the easiest way is get a gmail email address
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
Thanks @jesse's mom - right, I know, I do have a gmail account but I never use it. I only got it because I had to for some reason, but I don't use gmail ordinarily, so I have to look up the name and the passwords and I'm just cranky :mad: I don't want to have to jump through hoops to like a video. It feels like google wants to control everything!

BTW, congratulations on your son's sobriety - that is huge! :thumbsup: I have some family members who got sober from alcohol, and they've been going to meetings for over 25 years, but they've stayed sober. Actually my sister ended up becoming a drug and alcohol counselor and she's very good at it.

That's criminal what the insurance company did to you but they don't face any repercussions for screwing their customers. If they went to jail like other people do for theft, maybe they would clean up their act.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Please send a message to United Healthcare by watching the video and liking it and then sending it onto your friends.
There is a revised version with only 43 views--I was able to like it. I had a similar (but shorter) awful experience with Humana's Medicare Part D. My cardiologist asked me to switch to another company as Humana was impossible for doctors to work with. She referred me to an insurance advocate who was very helpful.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I had the exact same experience with my own insurance as in the video (it is not United Health Care) and since I still have this insurance for one more month (through 12/31/18) I am not going to name them. But they put me through hell the past four years, especially since 2016 when I began two expensive treatments.

The only reason I succeeded is b/c I have a social work/advocacy background and b/c I have an excellent doctor and we just would not take no for an answer and they realized we were not going away no matter how many times they "accidentally" gave us the wrong fax # or told us we used the "wrong form" or pulled other BS like in the video. Then they started dropping me from the plan (in spite of taking my full payment) and this happened at least four times.

The final time that they dropped me from the plan I told them that I had spoken to a "bad faith" insurance attorney and that if they did not reinstate my plan, they would be receiving a letter from my attorney. These were the magic words b/c they reinstated me and never dropped my coverage again. I was bluffing and had not spoken to an attorney but I did have a solid atty referral and he would have been my next phone call if they did not fix it.

I did end up filing a grievance to try to get refunded for the two months that they had taken my full payment (a small fortune) but dropped my coverage (and at times I had to pay the full price for meds at CVS as if I was uninsured). But ultimately my grievance was denied and I had to let it go b/c I was dealing with too much other more important stuff. My mom was dying at that time and I couldn't put any more time and energy into this issue once my treatments were approved and my coverage was reinstated.

But I remember there were weeks that I had made 6-8 phone calls to my insurance in ONE week and got the run-around where I was ready to pull my hair out or scream (like in the video). There were a few times that I showed up at my infusion center for a planned treatment not knowing if I was going to be told that I did not have coverage and be turned away. It was so stressful and it was so unnecessary b/c I was so sick. But I will never forgive UHC for what they did to my mom while she was dying of cancer which is worse than what my insurance did to me.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Does anyone have the actual link for that video so we can like it?

Just hearing about problems with insurance companies reminds me of mine when I phoned them to ask if medical compression stockings were covered. They said yes but their was criteria for doing this eg a doctors letter/referal and one had to go through approved places to get them.

So i did exactly what they said but when I put my claim in they DENIED MY CLAIM. I was too sick to fight this so they got away with not paying the over $100 they were supposed to and which had been told by them before I even got them that I would get back.

I hate how much I get screwed around with ME/CFS and then too sick to fight for what I should of got. It makes me feel bitter.
 

jesse's mom

Senior Member
Messages
6,795
Location
Alabama USA
I was bluffing and had not spoken to an attorney but I did have a solid atty referral and he would have been my next phone call if they did not fix it.

Well played, and you know I take notes from your experiences! Bluffing is not in my opinion actually lying!

But I will never forgive UHC for what they did to my mom while she was dying of cancer which is worse than what my insurance did to me.

I don't blame you and I am so sorry they were so bad to you and your family. I bet there are millions of american horror stories just like ours. They are all in it for the money, not as a public health service.

Keep writing about this, it is cathartic for you to express these emotions!
 

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
Thanks, everyone! I figured you would understand and be supportive. I've had my own issues with byzantine insurance procesrs leading to dead ends.:bang-head:
Does anyone have the actual link for that video so we can like it?
I'd typed it in, but the system helpfully stuck the video itself in. You can click on the little arrow at the top right, which will display the YouTube address. Then, if you click on that, it should take you to YouTube, where you can Like it.

If not try typing this:

gHJz24bsoYA after the usual https://youtu.be/
 

rel8ted

Senior Member
Messages
451
Location
Usa
She is absolutely right about elderly people just giving up after the first call. They generally don't expect to be lied to and take people at their word. A mistake once in a while could be poor training or employee apathy, don't think that was the case in her experience.

Had a friend that worked for a mega bank that has been in the news a lot for bad customer care. She couldn't hack it there bc she said there was so much pressure to sell credit and loans that people were "getting dishonest." I know now what she meant many years ago....

There are many companies that are not greedy and abusive but the lousy ones make me suspicious of all of them until they prove otherwise.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Three days I spent in the same type of blame shifting and lies, while I just did the best I could with my son. In the end the insurance covered nothing! AT ALL for him.

I am so sorry that you and your son went through that and it is unforgivable.

@Gingergrrl - I remember the hell you went through with your mother. I'm so sorry. this company is getting off easy with this video compared to what they deserve.

Thank you @Mary and I agree that ALL of these insurance companies are getting off easy (along with Pharma) and are rarely held accountable for anything.

@Mary , you have to sign into Youtube or Youtube via google to "like" a video.

Some day you will have to explain this to me b/c I watch YouTube constantly on both my phone and computer but have never figured out how to like a video or subscribe to anything. It is mandatory to have a Google account to do this?

I am right on the edge of getting too political for our board, so good night all!

I am right there with you (on the edge of getting too political).

I don't blame you and I am so sorry they were so bad to you and your family. I bet there are millions of american horror stories just like ours. They are all in it for the money, not as a public health service. Keep writing about this, it is cathartic for you to express these emotions!

There are so many of us and it is maddening b/c there isn't really anything that we can do about it. But writing about it here does help.

She is absolutely right about elderly people just giving up after the first call. They generally don't expect to be lied to and take people at their word.

You are so right @rel8ted and my father (who is in his 80's) thought that he had gotten an excellent special insurance plan through his former employer and that they would never lie to him. Meanwhile, they kept denying services that my mom needed. A facility (that was the proper level of care) came to visit her in the hospital while she was dying and then me, my dad, and sister went to visit it in person.

It was perfect and had private rooms and was quiet which was what exactly my mom wanted b/c the hospital was so LOUD and no private room (except when she was in the ICU with sepsis after her third surgery). My mom's eye's lit up to go to this facility and the hospital told her it was a done deal and then United Health Care denied it. But when my dad called them, they blatantly lied to him and said it was approved. He couldn't fathom that he was being lied to even though me, my sister, and the nurse and social worker all told him point blank that he was being lied to.

It wasted so much time and caused huge arguments between me and my dad and I honestly think my mom stopped eating food so she would die sooner to avoid the insurance stress for us. She was only thinking of us until the end. Without question, she would not have survived the cancer and was not a candidate for chemo after the third surgery, sepsis, and being on a ventilator but United Health Care made her final days on earth a nightmare when they could have been more peaceful. It is so hard to even type about this without crying, I am still so angry.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
Some day you will have to explain this to me b/c I watch YouTube constantly on both my phone and computer but have never figured out how to like a video or subscribe to anything. It is mandatory to have a Google account to do this?
I just now managed to sign in - found my gmail account and my password and it let me "like" the video. Maybe google owns youtube. It is one more way for google to keep track of what we do . . .
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I just now managed to sign in - found my gmail account and my password and it let me "like" the video. Maybe google owns youtube. It is one more way for google to keep track of what we do . . .

Thanks and I will try to figure this out at a future point b/c I do have a gmail account but I do not use it (except for a few very specific things). I don't like the idea of Google tracking what I watch on YouTube either!
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
I don't like the idea of Google tracking what I watch on YouTube either!
We are all tracked by multiple companies. There was a segment on 60 minutes about it last Sunday--they suggested that the US might do well to adopt privacy laws like the new EU's GDPR which have many levels of citizen protection. Sorry to go off topic but insurance companies also track us.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Thanks and I will try to figure this out at a future point b/c I do have a gmail account but I do not use it (except for a few very specific things). I don't like the idea of Google tracking what I watch on YouTube either!

I think you can not see where to like videos there due to you are not signed into youtube. I leave myself signed into there all the time as it has the handy thing of automatically keeping track of ones viewings and will then list recommendations of other things there to watch based on what you like to do there.

Just in case you are missing seeing the like part to like due to ME foggy brain. Its the "thumb up" part to click directly under the video. (there is an up thumb, or a down thumb)

If you are not signed into youtube. You wont be able to see this and you will be missing the notification part, which is a bell symptom in the top right corner.