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The 10 Worst Health Insurance Companies in the U.S.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is a must-have, regardless of your age, because even if a person is young and healthy, no one can ever predict when or if an accident or illness might occur.

Without health insurance, if an accident or unexpected illness were to happen, then a person could experience serious financial issues. Unfortunately, not all health insurances are equal, and some are great and provide their members with the optimum service that they expect, while many other insurance companies are the complete opposite.

If you're looking for new health insurance, here is a list of the 10 of the worst health insurance companies that you might want to steer clear of.

10. Ameri-Health Caritas Next

This is the health insurance plan that my husband and I currently have, which we purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace, or Obama Care. We chose this health insurance because it was affordable and had low co-pays and deductibles.

However, it has been an absolute nightmare dealing with this insurance company, which is only about two years old. First of all, it's an HMO, and while we expected limitations when it comes to finding doctors, we didn't expect there to be no urgent care facilities that they are contracted with within a 100-mile radius of where we live, nor did we expect there to be no in-network labs in our area.

We were also seeking certain specialists that we weren't able to locate on their website, so I called their toll-free number, and at first there was no answer, and I was on hold for nearly 20 minutes. I hung up and called back, and the woman who answered the phone was obviously working from home, as I heard a child crying in the background.

She also had no idea how to help me and kept stating, "I can't find anything here." She never apologized, and she was very unknowledgeable and unprofessional. I can't wait to get rid of this subpar insurance. The only positive aspect is that it covers most of our medications 100%.

9. Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC

Sure, everyone is aware of this health insurance, as it is one of the most popular insurance companies there is. I used to love BCBS because I could go to any doctor I wanted in the United States without a referral.

However, I have lost respect for them, as they have ignored claims that were sent to them by my doctors, and they continue to raise their rates until they're no longer affordable. My plan was set to double in cost, which is why I switched to Ameri-Health Caritas Next.

8. United Healthcare of Oklahoma

I have never lived in Oklahoma, nor have I ever had this insurance, but my research shows that this is a low-ranking health insurance. Why? First of all, United Healthcare of Oklahoma frequently denies valid claims for services that should be covered.

Another complaint that members have is issues with customer service, as well as obtaining coverage with pre-existing conditions. United Healthcare of Oklahoma has been referred to as a low-quality health insurance plan that is so bad that it would almost be better to have no coverage at all.

7. Cigna Insurance

Cigna Insurance is another well-known insurance company, but unfortunately, it also has some issues. Many people who have had Cigna have not been satisfied, as Cigna has repeatedly denied claims, refused treatment, and refused to cover people in some cases. One 17-year-old died because Cigna Insurance refused to cover a life-saving liver transplant.

Others have had similar experiences in which Cigna refused to cover life-saving treatments and operations, which caused their health to worsen, or either they died. Cigna has had many lawsuits filed against them because of this, yet many of these lawsuits have been thrown out.

6. Molina Healthcare

This healthcare agency makes this list because they have been known to frequently refuse to cover life-saving procedures. Molina Healthcare also has inadequate and rude customer service representatives who make it frustrating to try to get assistance with finding a provider and other issues.

Some members complain that transportation is supposed to be provided by Molina, but evertime they use the service, the driver either doesn't show up at all or shows up too late for the patient to get to their doctor's appointment on time. This is evidently not a one-time issue, as it has happened many times with many different members.

5. Tata AIG Health Insurance

This is another insurance company that customers complain doesn't provide good customer service, and they report that customer service agents are "useless," as they are unable to provide adequate assistance. Tata AIG has also been accused of failing to offer adequate choices when it comes to choosing a doctor, hospital, or clinic.

4. WellCare Health Plans of New Jersey

Many customers complain about this health plan, stating that none of the customer service agents have adequate knowledge of common problems, and are therefore unable to provide a solution to many problems.

Different customer service agents have been reported telling customers completely opposite things, as one agent told a member that he would receive reimbursement for seeing an out-of-network provider, while another one told the member that receiving reimbursement wasn't possible. Others complain about limited providers accepting this insurance plan, making finding quality healthcare challenging.

3. United Plan of Texas

Members of this particular healthcare plan have also been dissatisfied. They claim that there are too many limitations on where they can go for care, and there are also frequent complaints about customer service being poor.

Wait times are excessive, and then once an agent gets on the phone, they're rude and untrained, and therefore, unable to provide assistance to the member.

2. Hawaii Medical Service Association

While Hawaii ranks at the top of the list of states that provide the best healthcare, this health insurance company ranks extremely low among private plans.

Like some of the other insurance plans on the list, Hawaii Medical Service Association frequently denies legitimate medical claims, leaving members with hefty medical bills they can't afford. Some members report that it's necessary to submit claims multiple times before they're paid and that sometimes their claims are completely ignored by HMSA.

1. Unum Health

This insurance company has made the list because they have had so many complaints via the Better Business Bureau website that have been unresolved, that their stellar A+ rating has dropped to an A-. Why are there so many complaints?

Some members have reported the fact that Unum constantly denied their claims, stating that their information on the members was incorrect. Others state that they were billed incorrect charges and that they didn't receive the reimbursements they were expecting. Some members even complained about being stuck with expensive medical bills because Unum denied their claims for no valid reason.

It's sad that all health insurance companies in the United States aren't taking people's health more seriously. Denying claims and refusing to cover procedures that could save someone's life are things that health insurance companies are doing all the time.

If more health insurance companies focused on providing their members with the absolute best care, then perhaps there would no longer be any "bad" health insurance companies in the U.S.

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Dana Hanson

Written by Dana Hanson

Dana has extensive professional writing experience including technical and report writing, informational articles, persuasive articles, contrast and comparison, grant applications, and advertisement. She also enjoys creative writing, content writing on nearly any topic (particularly business and lifestyle), because as a lifelong learner, she loves to do research and possess a high skill level in this area. Her academic degrees include AA social Sci/BA English/MEd Adult Ed & Community & Human Resource Development and ABD in PhD studies in Indust & Org Psychology.

Read more posts by Dana Hanson

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