UnitedHealthcare Health Insurance Review

UnitedHealthCare Health Insurance Ratings at a Glance

One of the benefits of a UnitedHealthcare healthcare plan is that it offers insurance policies that can meet the needs of most people. Business health insurance plans or group plans are also available.

UnitedHealthcare’s insurance policies can be broken down into 4 kinds of provider networks. Provider networks are made up of hospitals, doctors and other health care providers who have come to an agreement with the insurance company to provide services at a negotiated rate. It’s important to understand how each provider network works so you can pick the right option for you.

HMO: Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) health plans typically require you to see a primary care physician (PCP) and other providers within your network. With these types of plans, you may need to get a referral from your PCP if you want to see a specialist. With HMOs, you must use in-network care unless there is an emergency in which you need to use out-of-network care. 

PPO: Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) health coverage can offer a bit more flexibility than HMO plans. If you see medical providers who are in-network, you’ll be able to access lower rates for your preventative care. You can also receive insurance coverage if you see out-of-network medical providers. The difference is that you may have less coverage and benefits for your visits with out-of-network providers. Some PPO plans do require a referral from a PCP in order to receive coverage for specialist visits, but not all of them do. 

EPO: Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO) plans are like HMOs in that you’ll probably be restricted to in-network providers except for in the case of emergencies. The good news is that EPOs often allow you to get care from any in-network provider without getting a referral from a PCP, which is a powerful tool in addressing chronic, congenital or unknown conditions. This makes EPOs a great option if you don’t have a PCP or if you just don’t want to have to wait to receive a referral before you can visit a specialist. 

POS: Point of Service (POS) plans provide a combination of HMO and PPO plans. In most cases, you have to stay in-network to receive insurance coverage. However, in some cases, you may be able to get authorization for out-of-network services. POS plans typically require you to have a PCP who can refer you to a specialist or out-of-network care. 

Additionally, UnitedHealthcare offers the following types of health insurance:

Medicaid: Medicaid plans offer low-cost or no-cost health insurance coverage. This type of policy is required in each state, and each state has its own eligibility requirements. 

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP): This form of low-cost or no-cost coverage is for infants, children and teens that meet the eligibility requirements. Coverage for children is especially helpful when parents may qualify for Medicaid or they sit on the line between one income bracket and another.

Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C): The federal government provides Original Medicare policies with Part A and Part B of Medicare coverage. Private insurers such as UnitedHealthcare provide Part C of Medicare coverage. A Medicare Advantage plan combines parts A and B of Medicare into a single policy. These plans may also offer additional benefits such as prescription drug, dental, hearing and vision coverage.

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan: These plans can help cover some out-of-pocket medical costs that are not covered by Original Medicare. It may also be called Medigap coverage. 

Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D): Part D of Medicare coverage is the part that covers prescription drugs. These plans can be added to Original Medicare or Medicare Supplement plans. 

Dual Special Needs Plan (D-SNP): D-SNP offers insurance coverage for people who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare. These plans can usually give you more benefits than Original Medicare alone. 

UnitedHealthcare also offers the following supplemental insurance health benefit plans:

Dental Insurance: Provides coverage for dental care, including dental screenings and preventative care.

Vision Insurance: Provides coverage for vision care, including vision screenings, routine exams, prescription glasses and contact lenses.

Critical Illness Insurance: This coverage offers benefits that can help cover expenses that are related to qualifying serious illnesses.

Hospitalization Insurance: These plans can help cover the costs of hospitalizations by paying a fixed amount per day for hospitalization stays.

Accident Insurance: Insurance that is specifically designed to help with expenses related to accidental injuries.

Hospital and doctor fixed indemnity Insurance: These plans pay a set amount of money for specific medical services. They’re usually used to cover things that are not covered by a traditional health insurance plan. 

International travel insurance: This plan can offer protection if you experience a medical emergency or illness while traveling. It can also help with unexpected events such as lost passports and lost baggage.

Term life insurance: Term life insurance can offer financial protection for your family or other beneficiaries if you pass away.

UnitedHealthcare offers several ways for customers to get in touch. In fact, the company has dedicated phone numbers for many of the plans that it offers. This includes Medicare and Medicaid phone lines, phone lines for employer-sponsored health insurance plans and UnitedHealthcare exchange plans. The customer service team is available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm.

To evaluate pricing, I requested a quote for a 35-year-old female who is a non-smoker. I was able to receive quotes for several plans. According to the UnitedHealthcare Exchange, the most popular plan was the UHC Silver First - HMO plan. The monthly premium for this plan was $465.14.

When shopping for a health insurance plan, it’s important to consider several factors to understand your total health insurance cost. Here are some key terms to look out for:

• The deductible is the amount that you’ll have to pay upfront for your covered health services before your health insurance coverage will pay for your care. 
• If your plan has a copayment, this is the amount that you’ll pay for covered health care services after you’ve met your deductible. Copayments are fixed amounts, and different types of health services also carry different copayments. For example, you might have a $15 copayment for a visit with your PCP, but a $30 copayment for a visit with a specialist.
• Some plans have coinsurance instead of copayments. Coinsurance is similar, but instead of a fixed amount, you’ll be responsible for a percentage of your covered health services. 
• The premium of a health insurance plan is the amount that you must pay to keep your health insurance coverage active. Most health insurance plans charge a monthly premium. If you have health insurance through your employer, your premium is probably taken out of your paychecks automatically. 
• Your out-of-pocket limit is the maximum amount of money that you could pay during your health insurance coverage period. Typically, the amount that you’ve paid toward your deductible and for copayment/coinsurance costs will count toward your out-of-pocket limit. However, some insurance plans don’t count some of all of this toward your limit and your insurance premium is never counted toward this limit.

UnitedHealthcare allows you to start the quote process on its website, but it can get confusing. You may be redirected to another independent website to get your quote, or you may be able to look for coverage through the UHC Exchange. You may also be able to call UnitedHealthcare for your quote. You only need to provide your basic information to get your quote, including your name and age. If you go through the UHC Exchange, you can also select how often you anticipate needing healthcare services. The UHC Exchange uses this information to select plans that will best suit your needs.

UnitedHealthcare vs. Competitors

UnitedHealthcare is a reputable insurance provider that can provide individual, family, employer-sponsored and other health insurance plans. Coverage is widely available nationwide, but there may be some areas where plans are limited or aren’t available at all. Since the insurance market can vary so widely based on location, it’s important to compare health insurance options in your area to find the best deal.

UnitedHealthcare can be a great health insurance option for most people. With the wide variety of health insurance plans available, UnitedHealthcare has plans that can suit the needs of people who are looking for individual coverage, supplemental coverage or an alternative to Original Medicare. The company has strong financial ratings and high ratings from third-party sources, making it a trustworthy option for your healthcare needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. Business Wire. “AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings for Most UnitedHealth Group Incorporated Life/Health Subsidiaries.” Accessed March 3, 2022.
2. Moody’s. “Moody’s affirms UnitedHealth Group’s ratings after acquisition announcement; outlook stable.” Accessed March 3, 2022.