The 10 Worst Health Insurance Companies in the U.S.
When it comes to health insurance, everyone knows that it is a must-have. It does not matter how old or young you may be. Health-related concerns can arise at a moment’s notice, and without a quality insurance policy, you could be left holding the bag for a number of major expenses. After all, illnesses and accidents do not announce themselves before arrival.
If a patient has no health insurance, the financial issues that will begin to take place are hard to overcome. Bankruptcy is common in these instances, and policies are a must. However, that does not mean that you should accept any health insurance policy that is being offered to you. Every health insurance policy is not created equally, so it behooves potential clientele to do the necessary research.
To that end, we are happy to provide a handy guide to the worst health insurance companies you are better off avoiding. While there is no shortage of high-quality health insurance providers to choose from, the top 10 worst health insurance companies will not have your best interests at heart.
Those who are in the market for a new policy and wondering what to expect are more than welcome to check out the following guide. We are here to ensure the continued well-being of all of our readers. To learn more about the top 10 worst health insurance companies (and how we came up with them), please be sure to take a moment to read on.
Our Methodology
We pride ourselves on taking all of the necessary steps to provide our readers with the most timely and current information. For a list of this nature, this is something that we took with the utmost level of seriousness. Health insurance-related matters must be handled with the utmost care at all times. Without further ado, the rest of our methodology is as follows:
Personal Interaction
You will find that certain entries on this list are based on the personal experiences that we have had with the insurance providers in question. While you can always learn more from the reviews of others and find out what you need to know through word of mouth, there is no substitute for the information that personal interaction offers.
Genuine Concern
Before we offer up any information in our guide to the worst health insurance companies, we place ourselves in our readers’ shoes. Will they be able to use the information promptly and efficiently? Are we speaking from a place of genuine concern at all times? We must always be willing to answer these crucial questions before proceeding.
Accuracy
Health insurance should never be chosen under false pretenses, and this is a principle that we strongly adhere to. If any information is offered to the audience, we do all that we can to fact-check. If we have to find multiple sources, we have no problem doing so. Any and all additional information will be cited so that you can visit the original source for yourself. No secondhand information is on display here.
The Top 10 Worst Health Insurance Companies
10. Ameri-Health Caritas Next
My husband and I currently have this health insurance plan, 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 any 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 couldn’t 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%.
In case you were wondering, these experiences are not uncommon. According to TrustedChoice, numerous complaints have been lodged with the Better Business Bureau. In fact, they gave the company 2.3 stars out of 5. The company’s lack of quality customer service and inability to properly process payments were both commonly cited concerns.
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, so I switched to Ameri-Health Caritas Next.
When you head to the Better Business Bureau to learn more about the experiences that others have had, a very stark picture is painted. There are a startling number of 1-star reviews and one client even claims that they were lied to. With dozens of bad reviews to read through, it is easy to see why people would want to avoid Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC in droves.
8. United Healthcare of Oklahoma
I have never lived in Oklahoma or 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 and obtaining coverage for 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.
Even if you head to the United Healthcare page to check out the reviews more generally, you will find that customers across the board have terrible experiences with the company. One reviewer said they could not even log into the account they created to access their website.
Another reviewer had to publicly offer up their bad experience to get a response. This is definitely a company I would recommend staying away from.
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 them to die. Because of this, Cigna has had many lawsuits filed against them, yet many of them have been thrown out.
If you head over to Consumer Affairs, you will see an excessive amount of proof of these terrible customer service experiences. 1,133 reviews of Cigna Insurance have been logged, and the overall consensus is far from positive. The company has received 1.7 out of a possible 5 stars.
6. Molina Healthcare
This healthcare agency makes this list because they have frequently refused 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 every time 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 not a one-time issue, as it has happened many times with many members.
I took a closer look at WalletHub’s reviews, and these stories are more widespread than I could have ever imagined. One of the reviewers was so angry they said that they only gave the company a 1-star rating because 0 was not an option. That should tell you everything that you need to know.
5. Tata AIG Health Insurance
This is another insurance company that customers complain about doesn’t provide good customer service, and they report that customer service agents are “useless,” as they cannot 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.
MouthShut’s library of reviews paints an extremely grim picture as well. When it comes to the worst health insurance companies, Tata AIG has to be at or near the top of any list of this nature. With over 500 reviews to examine, Tata AIG has a 1-star average.
Once you get into the specifics of these reviews, it is easy to see why customers get so annoyed. The claim settlement process is slow, and one customer even reported that they had not seen a check for over a year in the wake of a house fire. For these reasons and more, Tata AIG is a stay away.
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 solve 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.
When you head to Consumer Affairs, you will find a wide range of strong language used to describe these health care plans. One reviewer refers to them as a sham and a scam. Of all the reviews the site has compiled, 76 percent of them are a mere 1 star, in case you needed another sign to steer clear.
3. United Plan of Texas
Members of this particular healthcare plan have also been dissatisfied. They claim there are too many limitations on where they can go for care, and there are also frequent complaints about poor customer service.
Wait times are excessive, and once an agent gets on the phone, they’re rude and untrained and, therefore, unable to assist the member.
According to Consumer Affairs, 73% of the respondents who reviewed United Healthcare gave them a 1-star review. With over 2,000 reviews on file, this means that a staggering 1,400 people (at least) were completely dissatisfied with this insurance provider. Those are not odds that anyone should want to go up against.
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, the Hawaii Medical Service Association frequently denies legitimate medical claims, leaving members with hefty medical bills they can’t afford. Some members report that submitting claims multiple times before they’re paid is necessary and that sometimes their claims are completely ignored by HMSA.
A quick glance at the Better Business Bureau reveals these experiences are all too common. Inaccurate payouts are another issue that seems to be happening on a regular basis. One reviewer attributes the issues to the monopoly this association enjoys in Hawaii, which makes great sense.
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 didn’t receive the expected reimbursements. 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.
You can also read:
- The 20 Biggest Health Insurance Companies
- Ranking the Top 20 Life Insurance Companies
- A Guide to Getting the Cheapest Health Insurance
- 10 Companies That Offer The Best Homeowners Insurance
