Monarch HealthCare - Irvine, California

Steffanie B.

I need a procedure under my left eye. I got an authorization a month ago. The referral was extremely vague, didn't explain anything about the procedure or even who I was seeing. I was told by a customer service the authorization was already sent. It was not. I finally talked to a nurse at the hospital that told me what to do. If there is a complex issue, customer service should work with you and trying to figure out what is going on. I really feel that this healthcare dropped the ball. I also didn't feel my concern was taken seriously. I will give it a second star of the third customer service representative sends the authorization. It should not be this hard to get a needed procedure. Nor should they lie and not bother to send the authorization over.

Joe J.

Since merging with Optum I have lost all my doctors, it takes forever to get assigned a decent doctor and I had to find a decent doctor myself because some of the referrals you wouldn’t even take your healthy dog to

John M.

Optum has been difficult to get appointments with for some time. This week it became impossible because of the 4th weekend and the CLOSING THE MV OFFICE FOR 2 days to train. Who does that with no physician to cover the staff in training. As a result my wife who is post op has to wait until Thursday- one full week - to get a telemedicine appointment just to get a referral. The worse care available

Chuchi

They should get Zero stars!!
They make everything difficult beyond belief!! And, for aging handicapped seniors this is especially painful to deal with them. For example, when my mother (89yrs old, handicapped and almost blind but mentally fit and otherwise active) had a stroke, she needed physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Not only do they have few providers to choose from, every few visits they have to do another eval, then they often discharge way too early before the patient has had a chance to recuperate and you are required to get another doctors request for continued services and you have to wait another several weeks for Optum/Monarch to approve, then you have to wait for schedules to open up again and start over. Meanwhile, you've lost ground.

Another instance was when my mother was being billed for services which were supposed to be covered but neither Optum or Monarch were helpful in getting it resolved so her doctor kept billing her and threatened to cut her off. They have no patient advocates or anyone at the top to help you. They routinely tell you you have to call another department.

Another serious case was when she had an eye surgery to protect the remaining vision in her only working eye and following the surgery she lost most of her vision. We wanted a second opinion, but they didn't have any other eye surgeons to provide such an opinion. So, we insisted they pay for her to see a non-participating provider. They fought and fought and after days of calling anyone we could get ahold of at the highest levels, Blueshield and attorneys, they finally acquiesced and sent an approval to the doctor we had requested.

A few months after my mothers visit, she was sent a very large bill from the 2nd opinion eye surgeon. They told me her insurance only paid for a pressure check and refused to pay for anything else. They knew full well my mother needed a complete and indepth evalutaion but again, they left us paying the bill. Very dishonest and unethical.

If I have to fight like I do for my mother's services at my age and health, how is any senior or handicapped person supposed to manage their own care on their own?!?

The only reason my mother stays with Optum/Monarch is because she loves her primary care doctor and it's too hard to switch at her age.

STAY AWAY FROM MONARCH & OPTUM AT ALL COSTS!!!! THEY ARE HORRIBLE TO WORK WITH.

Michele D. V.

I was member for a many years but when I really needed help I was discriminated by my 2 Hispanic female case workers I asked her for help for over a year only to be told I did not qualify for CALAIM for many reasons. I filed a complaint but was told I was wrong. A few months later I was signed into CALAIM but nothing in my life has changed.
They lied to hide the discrimination that their case workers do. My case workers were both hispanic but too them I was either not hispanic enough, too old or they wanted to give to people they wanted to. Rebecca and Cheri should not have that kind of power to cheat others just because they say so.
My therapist even looked it up and found I qualified over a year ago.
I wanted to look for attorney now. Don't let them do this to you!!!
The young hispanic girls that work here will not give benefits unless you have the accent.
This is disgusting that this insurance company lets this happen.

ronald P.

This medical group ranks below one star. In the past, Monarch was a dependable and responsive medical organization. Ever since they were acquired by Optum they have no standards, no empowered customer service, and have severely reduced the number of physicians and medical facilities that they work with. Stay away.

Nancy L.

If I could give zero stars I would. Customer service personnel are incompetent and unable or unwilling to actually do their jobs.
Most medical facilities that I get sent to for procedures have dropped Optum Monarch, meaning that I cannot get the care i need.
I cannot wait until 2023 is over as I have dropped them as my insurance carrier.

Norene H.

If I could leave a '0' star I would. Our poor mother was recovering from Pneumonia in hospital. She was told next steps would be Rehab facility that would offer her PT 3xs a day, as well as OT, and Speech therapy. The way Monarch treated my mother and our family was very disrespectful. They literally offered her 2 locations in HUGE So County in Orange County. Both facilities are rated 2 out of 5 stars. There's 1 nurse for 16 patients. PT is only 1x a day, if that. She has been in a facility now for almost 24 hrs. No PT has come, or OT, or Speech. We want her up and out of here asap. The way Monarche spoke to my brother regarding what we needed and wanted for out mother was awful. Again disrespectful, unkind, and uncaring. When I make this decision for me, I will steer as far away from Monarch as I possibly can. Really do your research before choosing them. They don't CARE about their patients!!!