denverman1
Member
Have been doing home monitoring for over four years now. In August I found out from Phillips INR that UHC had discontinued home base monitoring. Anyone share similar situations with UHC recently...
United Health Care !!!!
- Thread starter denverman1
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Have you been renting the unit, or did you buy it? Not sure what's meant by "home base monitoring."
When I had UHC, I bought my (first) unit through QAS and UHC covered my testing supplies because of the code that QAS used. Then when QAS was no longer in network, I had to switch to Raytel (I think it's now Phillips), which used a different E code. UHC would not cover the strips then.
When I had UHC, I bought my (first) unit through QAS and UHC covered my testing supplies because of the code that QAS used. Then when QAS was no longer in network, I had to switch to Raytel (I think it's now Phillips), which used a different E code. UHC would not cover the strips then.
denverman1
Member
????
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Well Phillips (formerly Raytel) - told me that I owned the testing unit. Then they told me that it was only a part of the monitoring service and that I would have to return it. I am now trying to negotiate with Phillips to buy the old unit. Phillips will sell the test strips to me for $84/12 strips. I am now waiting from a response from Phillips on buying the old unit - they will gladly sell me a new unit for $1500!!! But since our good friends at UHC will not cover home monitioring - they will not pay for a new unit. Therefore, I would have to fork over $1500 to continue with a new machine. The only other option would be to go back to my doctor for monthly blood draws...
????
Well Phillips (formerly Raytel) - told me that I owned the testing unit. Then they told me that it was only a part of the monitoring service and that I would have to return it. I am now trying to negotiate with Phillips to buy the old unit. Phillips will sell the test strips to me for $84/12 strips. I am now waiting from a response from Phillips on buying the old unit - they will gladly sell me a new unit for $1500!!! But since our good friends at UHC will not cover home monitioring - they will not pay for a new unit. Therefore, I would have to fork over $1500 to continue with a new machine. The only other option would be to go back to my doctor for monthly blood draws...
Go undercover 
Just keep the old unit - buy test strips from an alternate source...
Just keep the old unit - buy test strips from an alternate source...Philip B
Well-known member
INR Unit
INR Unit
If you have to give up your current monitoring unit and purchase another one on your own, do some comparison shopping. Initially, I had to pay for my own unit and it cost me less than $1500.00. There are probably deals to be had.
It's interesting that United Health Care is discontinuing support of home monitoring. I had heard that UHC had merged with Pacific Care. Pacific Care initially denied my attempts to get payment for my monitor. Ultimately (after fighting with company representatives for over six months), I was reimbursed, but the company has refused to provide perscription coverage to my test strips.
-Philip
INR Unit
If you have to give up your current monitoring unit and purchase another one on your own, do some comparison shopping. Initially, I had to pay for my own unit and it cost me less than $1500.00. There are probably deals to be had.
It's interesting that United Health Care is discontinuing support of home monitoring. I had heard that UHC had merged with Pacific Care. Pacific Care initially denied my attempts to get payment for my monitor. Ultimately (after fighting with company representatives for over six months), I was reimbursed, but the company has refused to provide perscription coverage to my test strips.
-Philip
I complained mightily to UHC about the same, and was told that my company's contract only covered testing supplies for diabetics, not for warfarin patients who did home-testing.
This is the reason I oppose situations where it's a rental, rather than purchase, agreement. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.
I'd rather save $$$ and buy a unit outright w/out going through insurance than to rent a unit and have it yanked out from underneath me because of changes in providers or insurance contracts. We did that several times with my husband's CPAP machine and it was a pain.
Amen, Catwoman:
And that's one of the reasons that we purchased both of our INR Monitors with our own $$$s. When I see the problems that some people have, I just shutter. For me, the anxiety is not worth it.
Blanche
And that's one of the reasons that we purchased both of our INR Monitors with our own $$$s. When I see the problems that some people have, I just shutter. For me, the anxiety is not worth it.
Blanche
AgilityDog
Well-known member
UHC had me on a "rental plan" with Raytel/Philips. At $50 per month co-pay, I paid about $1200 the first two years for the service, then wound up paying nearly another $800 the next year before I realized they were not going to "fix" the billing which had jumped from $50 per month to $248 per month when Philips took over.
I bought my own machine on-line, and buy my own strips now. Philips would not let me purchase the machine I had been "renting."
UHC is one of the WORST insurance companies I've ever dealt with, and unfortunately it's one of the biggest. We won't even discuss the hassle of the medical bills after my surgery. Don't go there. Letter to State Board of Insurance was required, and much screaming. "What do you mean you are disallowing the hospital's room and board charges while I was in ICU? Was I supposed to stay at the Best Western across the street?"
I bought my own machine on-line, and buy my own strips now. Philips would not let me purchase the machine I had been "renting."
UHC is one of the WORST insurance companies I've ever dealt with, and unfortunately it's one of the biggest. We won't even discuss the hassle of the medical bills after my surgery. Don't go there. Letter to State Board of Insurance was required, and much screaming. "What do you mean you are disallowing the hospital's room and board charges while I was in ICU? Was I supposed to stay at the Best Western across the street?"
Philip B
Well-known member
Merger
Merger
It's a happy thought to know that my insurance company, PacifiCare, has become a part of a company that's probably worse. If United is bad too, PacifiCare may be a good fit.
PacifiCare would rather pay $75.00 for a hospital lab INR test rather than pickup the $13.00 tab for an InRatio test strip, but...there's nothing wrong with the health insurance industry in this country. Sorry...this isn't a political thread is it?
-Philip
Merger
It's a happy thought to know that my insurance company, PacifiCare, has become a part of a company that's probably worse. If United is bad too, PacifiCare may be a good fit.
PacifiCare would rather pay $75.00 for a hospital lab INR test rather than pickup the $13.00 tab for an InRatio test strip, but...there's nothing wrong with the health insurance industry in this country. Sorry...this isn't a political thread is it?
-Philip
Well, you could wait until you're 65 years old and get on that socialist government program called Medicare that we all love and your machine is free...woohoo....maybe your strips too. I have neighbors on United Health Care and they changed to Humana...both are Medicare Advantage plans and they had nothing but probs with United Health Care....so adios United Health Care.
Janie:
John will be turning 65 in another 14+ months. What's a good way to find out about Medicare -- not from bureaucrafts, that is?
Have you found that Medicare supplementals take those of us with repaired tickers w/out penalty charges?
John will be turning 65 in another 14+ months. What's a good way to find out about Medicare -- not from bureaucrafts, that is?
Have you found that Medicare supplementals take those of us with repaired tickers w/out penalty charges?
