AARP Health Insurance

United collected 3 months of AARP health insurance premiums after my mother Clara ** died on 12/31/2010. United sent a refund check in June 2011 made out to the Estate of Clara **. There was no estate. Bank refused to deposit the check in the account that the money had been taken from as the account was a joint checking account and not an estate account. Bank teller commented this happens frequently.

I asked United to electronically replace the funds into my mother's or my joint account. They refused. I requested a replacement check. United requested copies of mother's will, etc., naming me as Executor and I submitted these summer of 2011. Last written communication from United regarding claim ** was a 9/29/2010 EOB stating, "We received the correspondence you sent. Because you did not send a claim, no benefits are payable. This applies to the last debts statement. We sent the note attached to our correspondence area. You will hear from them shortly."

United has sent no other communication. I called them on 12/31/2011. The customer service rep asked if I received the check sent in October. I repeated that this 9/29/2011 communication was the last I had received. The CSR (Linda) checked the records and saw no check had been cashed. She said she was sending out a new check, and we should receive it within 7 to 10 business days. No check has arrived. Not only have 10 business days passed, it is now more than one year since my mother's death and 9 to 12 months that UnitedHealth has wrongly withheld these funds.

I am a 52 year old female, severely disabled, rheumatoid arthritic, with several other complicating diseases. I have lost the majority of my teeth, due to the various arthritis and diseases that I have. These diseases would be rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, chronic pain, depression, chronic kidney disease, and severely damaged bone density, among others. In an effort to improve my bone health, I have even taken the very questionable, and now proven to be devastating to my health, bisphosphonates, such as Fosamax, and Boniva. These were made available to me through my physician's offices, by the abundant free samples at the time, and through the years.

Because I could not afford the cost to purchase them at the time, and due to lack of insurance upon applying for disability, I had to count on those free samples. There were no records of actual prescriptions written, and filled to back up any future claims, because I had the free samples to use. That lack of insurance would be because of the 25 month waiting period, during which time, I still paid my monthly Medicare premiums, but without any benefit to me by way of any services, especially for prescriptions.

Once that 25 month period had passed, I begged AARP Humana, my insurer at that time (May 2007), and through 2009, and now for the past two years AARP Secure Horizons through United Healthcare, to remove my remaining severely damaged teeth, which were then and are still continuing to cause so many additional problems for me due to my weakened immune system. I have begged AARP Secure Horizons to rebuild my deteriorating jawbone, again as a result of all of the above mentioned maladies. I have also begged them to replace the missing teeth, once they were finally pulled, with a denture. This is in order for me to eat the proper foods, as prescribed by my physician, and supported by medical research, in order to maintain as healthy an immune system as possible.

I have been repeatedly declined, despite the systemic damages, such as through my kidney, and gastrointestinal health problems, being caused from their denial, and the medical research that proves the damage, that will be done by not having these teeth removed, and the dentures put in place. Only after appealing to my local congressman, who in turn sent a letter of investigation, did AARP Secure Horizons agree to remove the teeth, and rebuild the jawbone through a two year stint of bone grafting. You see, my jawbone is now so wasted away, because of all of this delay, and the lack of any viable healthy teeth, that my face is now losing it's natural shape.

AARP Secure Horizons is even required by Medicare to cover dental implants, with the actual manual labor of preparing the jaw for the implants, after the bone grafting is complete, being the only eligible covered event. They are not, however, required to provide the implants themselves. They just make the room for them. Still, Secure Horizons refuses to provide the dentures that I will need, while all of this work is being done. These dentures must be molded in my mouth, prior to removal of the teeth, therefore the insurance company is claiming that procedure to be the primary event. Instead of the removal of the teeth being the primary, and being medically necessary at that.This is how the insurer can say that the dentures are the primary reason for the medical procedure, and are therefore not covered.

The dentures have been quoted by one of their own approved providers at $2,880. This must be a customized denture, due to the ongoing bone grafting taking place over the estimated two years. All of this work, will also change the shape of my jawbone's contour, and the denture must be periodically adjusted to accommodate these changes. I can't afford any of this, and that is because I am only receiving enough income to set me, just over the poverty level.

In addition, any money that I do receive, goes to all of the medications that I need each month, because I don't qualify for any of the medically needy assistance, or share of cost programs, food stamps, or any other programs, normally available to the poor. I have so many other extenuating health circumstances, that I can no longer afford the medications that I need, just to stay alive, not to mention food and clothing.

I currently received a net of $1,430 per month. Many people would scoff at that, and tell me to stop whining, but when they look at what I have going out, and yet still need because of all of my medical costs, they might have a different attitude. You see, I don't qualify for food stamps, or medicaid (which by the way covers dentures and dental work). I don't get assistance with anything at all, so don't think for a second that I have it made. I am slowly dying on the vine, and that huge monster conglomerate, that I actually feed each month with my medicare premiums, is letting me do just that.

My point is this, if AARP would only "do the right thing" as it were, and finish the job, that they are required to start by Medicare, by providing those dentures, then I could begin to heal in so many ways. I suffer from one infection after another due to these remaining teeth, but they are all that I have, with which to eat food, despite the risks of keeping them in my mouth. My physician has literally screamed at me, to have these teeth pulled, because in his words, all it will take is one abscess, and I'm finished.

Oh, please keep in mind, that I am also a depressant, and now AARP Secure Horizons has raised the cost of my generic medicines from $6 to $45, which I can not afford, so I am also writing this through many tears of utter frustration, and disbelief that I could be treated so callously by a company that only thinks of their bottom line, and not the lives of their intrusted patients.

I have appealed their decision all the way up the line, and those so called mediators or unbiased parties (hired by United Healthcare no less), have always denied me without so much as a phone call to discuss, or allowing me to provide any information to support my case, before they closed my case out for good. If there is a better alternative out there, I wish that I had known about it. As it is, I am now stuck with a worthless insurance company, a mediating experience that left no doubt, as to who's pocket they were in, continued damaged teeth, infections, and no dentures, plus no anti-depressants with which to somewhat deal with this situation. I have never felt more victimized by this, than from the day that I was first diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Please, if there is any information out there that may help, please, please let me know. Otherwise, please let your family, friends, and associates know that this can, and will happen to them.

This has been a nightmare. I have spent 10 hrs on the phone trying to straighten out the mess the reps at AARP United Healthcare insurance has created. I choose this company because I had it while I was working. But this is a whole can of worms now with medicare. My plan just started Nov 1. I read more bout plan and thought maybe come Jan 1 to go to the Medicare Original plan, get a drug plan and a supplement instead starting Jan 1. I'm on a fixed income and was afraid if I get hospitalized, I would be hit with a big bill on the aarp uhc complete plan. So I called and set up and drug plan to start Jan 1. The rep didn't listen and put me on a drug plan starting Dec 1.

I called to check on a supplement plan and the premium would be way to expensive for me till I turn 65. So I called back to cancel the drug plan and found out that come Dec 1, I wouldn't have anything but a drug plan. Trying to get these morons to fix it correctly was like pulling teeth. Was assured it had been fixed. Well not feeling very secure with the service so far, I called back and found out it still hadn't been done. I will never recommend this company for anything. The reps are either new and don't know crap or they just don't care. AARP UHC insurance has a terrible customer service. They are either being trained or they don't listen. They are also are rude and interrupt you constantly. I will be looking at other companies if this one doesn't work out any better soon.

My brother had been in the hospital for over a month, and I received a letter stating that he had 35 days, from the date of the letter, to make a payment or the coverage would be cancelled. After 14 days, he received another letter stating, "Since a payment had not been received, his coverage had been cancelled."

He was still within the 35 day time frame, and we already had sent a payment, which they signed for, but no payment was posted, and they refused to work with us on the phone.

Having read the complaint of a dissatisfied couple with AARP having misled them about the Health insurance Plan they were given, it hit home as I also experienced the same. After paying the insurance premium for well over a year, then needing to visit a doctor, I was informed that it was not a major medical and would not be accepted. I was paying well over $200.00 monthly. I referred a staff person, who, when she contacted AARP, was offered the identical plan for more than $100.00 less than I had been paying.

When I contacted AARP to discuss the matter, I was told "we are not at liberty to discuss another's plan with you." I also informed them that I was having trouble getting a medical provider or facility to accept the plan and I was simply advised "to keep trying." This was in addition to using AARP for my auto insurance. After the medical incident, I decided to call other insurance companies for quotes and discovered that I could get a lesser rate outside of AARP. I then cancelled both Auto and Medical.

I feel that AARP is a rip-off to the consumers and that all of the money I paid into AARP for both insurances was a rip-off--the Hartford for Auto and United Health Care for Medical. I am a single female over the age of fifty and had no other financial means of obtaining the care. This was a huge disappointing setback as I was informed by AARP that I would not be reimbursed all of the money I had paid out. And not having medical coverage via my employer, I was left trying to treat myself.

AARP still sends information and member cards to me to which I, without hesitation, discard as I will let anyone know my experience with AARP and that they are not for the seniors as they claim to be. Due to this experience, I am still without medical coverage as the rates get higher as you age. I was with AARP for a couple of years so by the time I discovered the rip-off, I was a couple of years older and the premiums elsewhere were outside of what I could pay.

I am being harassed at all hours to pay a Medicare Supplement premium for a policy that I cancelled in writing on the original effective date of 3-1-2009 due to the fact that I found I still had coverage under my Blue Cross/Blue Shield group policy at work which was completely sufficient to cover all my medical deductibles, needs, etcetera. You cannot make a profit on insurance so I requested the AARP Medicare Supplement to be cancelled. I have proof of the continuing Blue Cross group policy throughout 2009 which has already been in force when I took out the AARP and then I requested it cancelled. It was 3 times that I requested canceled. Yet AARP has turned this bill over to a credit collection which continues to harass me about it. I can send you any written copies you need. Please advise what I should do to stop this and clear up this matter. Thanks for your help.

Each of these representatives switched me to another number! I have spent the last two hours (charging my minutes on cell phone) trying to get someone to take my old email off their website and let me log in for information and forms for my account! No one knew how to do this! Everyone passed the buck to another supervisor or person.

Now, I am locked out of my AARP accounts online and find them useless. The staff is useless and they are not knowledgeable on their products. They were very polite, but very stupid about my questions, some tried looking it up. Some had no idea. Nothing worked. Why am I paying this company to handle my health affairs? When I need them, they are not there for me.

I'm changing plans and company when I'm allowed to. Just the way our government is wasting money, now my own insurance company is wasting money on hiring incompetents. I'm disgusted!

Customer service should be called "misinformation" experts. This, as any other insurance, lacks the understanding and needs of people. They continue to misinform and actually lie about coverage. Example is the reimbursement of prescription glasses. I was told that I will be reimbursed $75 every 2 years, but then they sent me a letter stating I was not covered because I did not send the claim to the right address and then they changed to that I was not covered because where I got my glasses was not in the network. So even though I checked with them before I got my glasses, they still denied it. When I called, they transferred me from one office to another for 10 minutes, then they would not give me the phone number to call.

Hours of work applying online for health insurance. Defective programming and data loss. Loss of up to 4 hours of my life. I completed a paper form in 20 minutes. Don't apply online.

My husband has a morphine pump, takes insulin and numerous medications, suffers from depression and had been collecting since 2001. They stopped his benefits in March 2009. Who will hire a 58 year old who can't sit or stand long? We have stayed off the welfare system because I went to work full time when he was becoming disabled after several back surgeries. This loss of income is big for us.

My doctor hates United Healthcare (AARP's brand) and now, I do too. I find their telephone customer service to be very polite but incompetent. I've called 5 times over the last 5 weeks to check on my application and on the 5th call, they said they have never received a completed application. All other calls they said it was in progress. Also, I tried to apply using their website but it wouldn't work. So I faxed my application and they lost it. I will seek insurance elsewhere. Because of this, I will leave for Europe for 5 weeks and will not be insured. I applied in late January, over one month before my trip, and they are still screwing around.

This is a gross waste of funds drumming up business, inadequate or redundant information to customers, constant badgering for current members to "join" similar AARP plans. Sorry you can't see the picture. Send an email address and I'll send you what I sent United Healthcare.

Here is my email to them:

"I have mentioned before, to no avail, that your phoned recordings telling customers that their "mail order" has shipped doesn't distinguish between actual mail orders, online prescription re-orders, or doctors' phone-in or faxed orders. Thus your customers may often not know what orders you're talking about. Clearly your "one-size-fits-all" recording does not.

You waste a great deal of money mailing superfluous, duplicated materials. Why not take some of the considerable funds you waste in sending 4-color brochures on heavy stock with every delivery and use that money to have differentiated recordings? And why is the "important information" regarding drugs printed in inverse order using only one side per page. Don't you care that doing that ultimately wastes perhaps millions of pieces of paper? Or don't you care because ultimately, your customers will pay the cost?

Your web site neglects to give relevant information. An on-screen picture is attached."

In the last year, I have had prescriptions filled for this drug in two dosages; in the last couple of years, in at least four. Why can't you provide such basic information? The same holds true for other drugs in both my wife's and my accounts. I doubt we are the only customers who have to deal with this seemingly needless rigmarole.

It took five phone call to order 10 Clonazepam pills not covered by your policy; they would have been $8 at my local pharmacy. These urgently needed drugs prescribed by my epileptologist to stop seizures as they're taking place took an extra five days to receive, as a result. Had I had a seizure, the resultant 911 ambulance call and ER visit could have cost Medicare thousands. Why the hassle over a recognized generic drug?

We are often badgered by information asking us to reorder drugs by robotic phone calls, mail, and email, although we regularly log on to your web site to be certain that our drug orders are up to date. Frequently these "reminders" arrive even after drugs have been ordered and delivered! Is carpet bombing really a necessary way to communicate specific information. Why don't you try harder to coordinate online activity with your shipping and mailing information?

I was in the university for 4 days and had 3 splints put in my arteries. They kept me in the emergency room for 2 days and 1 night and then the operating room for 7 hours, and then to my room for a night and day. My insurance with AARP - United Health Care denied the claim and I owe over $91,000 to the hospital. I think that AARP-United Health Care should have to pay some of this bill.

We called and then applied online for Health Insurance from AARP (my husband is a member). We had insurance under CIGNA (Cobra) since my husband was laid off at Intel Corp. This insurance ended on 12/31/09. We applied to AARP in mid-December 2009. Finally, we got a letter back from them on Dec. 31st that we were denied coverage! We are all in good health and answered all the questions truthfully. They denied us because I take prescription allergy meds (allegra D and a nasal spray), and because our daughter has ADD (attention deficit disorder) and takes Concerta. She is in college and does very well. Plus the letter only had page 1 and ended in mid-sentence, so there must be another page.

Their whole process is so old and outdated. We did not get any email confirmation that our application was in the system. I called their 800 number the next day. Then throughout the process, it just says "in review". No calls or anything or checking with our doctor. We do not have cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes or other high risk problems. We are not covered with healthcare insurance. We were covered in December and ended on 12/31 with our Cigna Cobra. How do old people get insurance with AARP, they must not be insuring anyone! We are 62 years (my husband) and 58 (me) and our daughter is 21. We are active and healthy! We compared rates and felt this was the best plan for us. I think it's discrimination.

After they terminated my insurance in October: I sent this letter today.

Christian M case manager who I talked to on 11/12/09 and called him.

On Nov 12 I was told I would be getting a letter in 2 weeks. Never got any letter.

I called many many times from 11/22 into December. Never got a call back.

Today I called. A second time and talked to Alice who connected me to George a specialist at reinstating insurance. No one ever connected me to Christian M.

Apparently from talking to all these people there is $460 sitting in a credit to my account from October and november.

Checks sent in June and September never was found.

So here is $920. I hope this does not get lost or embezzled.

This is extremely poor customer service.

No one on your end ever contacts me.

I send checks and documents overnight express and Priority mail and you loose them.

So when is my insurance reinstated? No one ever lets me know anything unless I call.

I sent a letter to AARP Health options: I sent a two copy paymnets I made in 10-15-08 and 11-1-08. To pay for the year of 2009. And I got a new book payments for 2010 in October of 2009. I made a 1st payment for January. Than another payment in Nov. I got a letter saying I owe the Oct, nov and Dec. of 2009. So I sent them the proof that I paid that and wanted to put my payments for January and Febuary payments of 2010. Jay F still sent me back a letter saying I owe that Oct, Nov and Dec. of 2009. I try to get him to understand this and he won't listen to me on the letter and copies that i have sent.

I have repeatedly requested they put the money back in my account and they have refused, only offering to send a check to the estate of Martha. They did not take money from Martha or her estate. They stole the money from me and I want to be compensated for the money they took without my permission as well as the overdraft fees they caused

I was left without insurance for one year when my husband retired. I called AARP Insurance and Medical Advantage Plan was recommended to me as a primary insurance for one year at which time I would be 65 and entitled to Medicare. Not all insurances were interested in me because of my age. This insurance did cover $50.00 toward doctor visits during this year but when I had shortness of breath and an irregular ekg and I was told that I should be evaluated at the hospital - I was asked if this was a secondary insurance and I said no it was my primary insurance as I was told it was.

Well when the bills came in the insurance had paid a very small amount of $158.00. I owed over $2400.00. They paid $25.00 and $75.00 on other bills from that days test, labs, and x-rays. I was very dissappointed in the way AARP handled this insurance claim - there was no write off - so the balance was owed by me. I read the article about the couple in Texas and I agree. I would be interested in joining a class action lawsuit for my claim if there is one. Thank you for listening to my insurance experience with AARP's Medical Advantage Plan.

My husband is an AARP member. I have purchased AARP Healthcare insurance and pay my premiums. I am NOT allowed to view my health information online without being an AARP member. This is an unnecessary restriction.

This program will cut the provided care to all of those members by billions of dollars in medical care for the people that need and deserve it most. The new slogan for the government health care program by Obama is; if you are too old to work, then you are too old to get medical treatment. Join me in ending your membership with the AARP who only does one job well, and that is undercutting their members, they are leading the old to slotter.

I, too, am one of those who is having problems obtaining health insurance due to pre-existing conditions. My husband has heart disease, back and knee problems and suffers from diverticulitis. I have epilepsy. We have both been denied new insurance coverage after layoff in March '08 due to these conditions and our ages. We were even denied by AARP/Aetna as we are both in our 50's. When I complained to AARP that their health insurance they promote turned us down in direct violation HIPAA laws, they did absolutely nothing to help. The HIPAA laws that state we cannot be turned down for pre-existing condition if we had previous coverage needs to be enforced. This is not being done at this time. I have had to pay as much as $1200 a month to maintain Cobra coverage and that will run out at the end of September and I am still looking for a carrier who will insure us.

AARP Essential Premier Health Insurance henceforth "AARP Health" and its provider Aetna consistently denying payment of claims:

The reason given always being "information we previously requested from you or your provider was not received". This, of course, is the pre-existing condition questionnaire. But no information was requested by them - only by me (they are lying) and questionnaires I and my doctors send to them mysteriously disappear. Eg, a $1,000 claim for a procedure I received in Sept. 2008 was never paid and has now gone to a Collection Agency.

Also, AARP Health was "pleased to inform me... enhanced insurance... including one routine colonoscopy... with no deductible":

However, since a benign polyp was found during the procedure, Aetna and AARP Health explain to me it was not a routine colonoscopy and they will only pay a portion of the claim. This claim is also going to a collection agency.

I have spoken with a lady named Marina at AARP Health executive and at first she was "disturbed" by my complaints. She was going to look into it. When she contacted me again it was my turn to be disturbed because she explained the reasoning behind my partial claim denial for the colonoscopy as if she were in total lockstep with Aetna.

In addition, there are 3 or 4 lesser claims they have refused to pay on.

I received a refund check for 152.41 dated 2/25/09. I was sick and had to be hospitalized on March 17th. I made sure to see that the current payment was made on that date before i left for the hospital. I was there from tuesday til Sunday. When i got home, i got my mail as soon as i could walk. Feet severally swollen. When i checked there was another refund check for 325.32. So i called to see what this was about.

She said it was a refund of my pemiums because i had no insurance since Novement 2008. I asked how could this be. Im paying every month. She said they did not receive a payment for December.She questioned me about that payment. I told her i had paid every coupon in the book and was til that date still paying monthly. She said there were two options She told me the insurance could be started again. Or reinstted but if i felt i had paid. I would have to give her a check over the phone for 647.89 to pay it up to date. If the insurance had been started again i would have had no coverage for the hospitalization.

I knew i had paid so i insisted on reinstatment. I gave her check 1014 for that amount. I asked about my back payment and current payments. She said i would have to prove i paid for december and they would refund it. The current payment would be refunded as soon as it was receivd. I had not received any letter to confirm there was no insurance. She insisted they hadnt receive December check.

Now i have to pay 5.00 to prove that the check was presented and taken payment. Im a senior and luckily have that money otherwise i would have to be responsible for that hospitalization of about 20 %. Could this be happening all over the country. The doctor office knew that i only had medicate and asked about my supplimental insurance. I had to to explain all the details in front of the other patients. This is very embarassing. This is so unfair. I knew i had paid so reinstated was justified in my opinion but i still had to come up the funds. I have contacted my bank and they are forwarding me copies of the front and back of the check as it was presented to my bank for payment. I checked my checkbook and found i had paid in december and it was presented to my bank for payment. Check 1779 for 102.25 and appeared on my statement dated 11/7 to 12/5/08.

My wife and I have tried, on several occasions over the last week, to enroll on line in the AARP Medicare Part D Insurance Plan, which is is really UnitedHealthcare, and after spending much time filling in all of the information all the way to the end, we could not finalize our enrollment because the button would not respond and nothing happened. We then spent a long time going over all of the information by phone that we had put into the website. I mentioned to two different agents that their website was not responding , and they could care less.

No economic or physical damage, but a waste of 2 hours of our time, which has economic value to us. We tried to find a phone number or webpage to make our complaint directly to AARP and UniyendHealth and could find none.

I cannot afford the coverage on someone else.