UnitedHealthcare vs Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealthcare offer a wide range of health plans, which enables them to meet the needs of many people. Kaiser Permanente stands out for its integrated health care system and charitable health plans. UnitedHealthcare stands out for its offering of non-traditional health plans, including fixed benefit and short-term health plans.

UnitedHealthcare logo
#7 UnitedHealthcare
6.0 Overall Score
2.2
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(564)
Kaiser Permanente logo
#9 Kaiser Permanente
5.6 Overall Score
2.6
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(336)

Overview

UnitedHealthcare

Health Plan Options

Customer Service Options

Perks and Support Programs

Time in Business

Undisclosed

Kaiser Permanente

Undisclosed

Ratings

UnitedHealthcare

Overall Score
6.0 of 10
Review Score
2.2
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Value for Money
3.0
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Quality of Product or Service
3.0
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Company Trustworthiness
2.9
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Likely to Recommend
4.5 of 10

Kaiser Permanente

5.6 of 10
2.6
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2.6
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2.6
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2.6
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3.6 of 10

Reviews

UnitedHealthcare

Number of Reviews
564
Review Breakdown
2.2
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1 star
37%
2 star
6%
3 star
6%
4 star
19%
5 star
32%

Kaiser Permanente

336
2.6
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1 star
49%
2 star
8%
3 star
7%
4 star
10%
5 star
26%

Reviews for UnitedHealthcare

Helpful Favorable Review

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Tana Tuggle

November 28th, 2023

DETAILS

I had United Healthcare for 5 years and I must say, I had nothing but good experiences with this company. I noticed when my primary care doctor would need authorization from the company to send me to a specialist, (nose, ear, throat doctor, pulmonary specialist etc.) I would get quick feedback, every specialist that I have seen, there was never a problem with my referrals. Since I had to see quite a few specialist, along with taking test constantly, I never had to cancel an appointment due to no referral from United HealthCare. Great Company!!!

Helpful Critical Review

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William Brooks

October 2nd, 2024

DETAILS

I am 71 and have COPD. United HealthCare violates patient rights to services. Congress has accused them of illegalities of Delay, Deny, Deceive. They made me wait a year extra to get oxygen therapy for my COPD. Their website is terrible. Customer Service Advocates have no authority to fix obvious misgivings and delay follow-ups or no follow-up at all. Medicare has fallen apart ... we need nationalized medicine to get rid of all the profiteering middlemen who don't want any lawful professional oversight. American healthcare ranks 79th in the world.

Reviews for Kaiser Permanente

Helpful Favorable Review

star star star star star

Michelle Thomas

November 24th, 2023

DETAILS

I have used their new emergency facility and I love the care and how nice the ER is. They do needed tests and it is in a timely manner. They have polite and helpful staff, nurses and doctors. I recomend their Anheim ER.

Helpful Critical Review

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Jay Rallion

April 7th, 2024

DETAILS

I've had the worst medical experience of my life with kaiser. I had chronic diarrhea for THREE MONTHS. I saw FOUR kaiser doctors and none of them helped me. It was as if they didn't care. Why do they go into this profession? Their 800# and customer service departments are useless. I went to ElSalvador on vacation ( I almost didn't go because of my diarrhea) and saw a gastroenterologist there and I was finally cute. SHAME ON KAISER!

The Final Word

Kaiser Permanente stands out from other health insurers because of its integrated health care system. Kaiser Permanente operates hospitals and clinics instead of contracting with care providers and hospitals to create networks.

Kaiser Permanente also stands out because it offers charitable health insurance plans to people who do not qualify for government programs and cannot afford to buy their own health insurance.

Kaiser Permanente offers health plans for businesses, individuals and families, Medicaid, and Medicare. These broad range of options makes Kaiser Permanente a good fit for many people.

Kaiser Permanente offers great member benefits. Members have an online account to manage their health care. This account can also be accessed via a mobile app.

It also offers great support resources, including coaching, prescription databases, natural medicine databases, and case management for members with certain health conditions.

Its business plans also include health and wellness programs that employers can implement to help their employees keep healthy habits.

UnitedHealthcare offers plans for individuals and families, Medicare, Medicaid, and non-traditional health plans, like fixed indemnity plans, hospitalization insurance, and short term health plans. It also offers health plans designed for students.

UnitedHealthcare’s variety of health plans, including non-traditional health plans, make it easy for the company to meet a wide range of needs.

If you’re interested in a non-traditional health plan or a specialized health plan, UnitedHealthcare’s offerings are worth considering. Some of these plans have a fixed benefit for health services. These plans can be used to supplement other health insurance plans because the fixed benefit is a cash amount. These benefits can be used to pay for out-of-pocket expenses from your health plan.

UnitedHealthcare Medicare plans are offered in partnership with the AARP. This partnership makes UnitedHealthcare stand out from other Medicare providers.

UnitedHealthcare also offers plans for small and large businesses. Interested employers should contact UnitedHealthcare for more information on available plans.

As with most health insurance carriers, there is regional variability with Kaiser Permanente's and UnitedHealthcare's offered plans. Be sure to check your options from both UnitedHealthcare and Kaiser Permantente and compare them side-by-side before choosing a company.

Top Choice

UnitedHealthcare Logo
UnitedHealthcare

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