UnitedHealthcare is the No. 12 health insurance company for 2026, with a score of 3.93 out of 5.
Scott Nyerges is an insurance expert and managing editor, insurance. Previously, he was a senior insurance editor and content strategist at U.S. News & World Report, and worked for Consumer Reports, MSN and Cheapism.com.
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance expert and the executive editor of Insurance.com. Before joining QuinStreet, she was managing editor at Quote.com has a decade of experience writing about insurance. She also spent four years in customer service with Farmers Insurance.
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UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is the No. 12 health insurance company in our 2026 rating, with a score of 3.93 out of 5 stars. Among carriers with a nationwide presence, it is a good option for people seeking a user-friendly digital experience and a straightforward payment process.
But when it comes to affordability, only a couple of other insurers scored lower than UnitedHealthcare.
Below is our review of UnitedHealthcare. It’s based on third-party metrics and an in-depth survey of insurance customers. Find the full methodology here.
UnitedHealthcare is a good choice for you if:
It might not be the best choice if:
Size doesn’t necessarily translate into savings. UnitedHealthcare may be the biggest insurer, but it earned one of the lowest scores among ranked companies (3.58 stars out of 5) for cost. Only Elevance Health and BCBS of Michigan (Blue Care Network) were ranked lower.
Below is a comparison of UnitedHealthcare’s rates in North Carolina with those of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and Cigna. These are 2026 healthcare exchange rates for a single, 40-year-old man in excellent health with an annual income of $70,000.
Good customer service, along with a user-friendly website and app, can make the often-frustrating process of healthcare management less daunting. UnitedHealthcare’s score of 72% put it among the bottom third of companies for customer service, according to our survey. Its score of 78% for digital experience was also lower than the majority of carriers.
Policyholders were also less satisfied with UHC’s policy offerings compared to those of competitors. The insurer’s score of 73% was lower than half of the carriers rated.
Another way to measure customer satisfaction is to ask policyholders whether they would recommend their insurer to others. Fewer policyholders say they would recommend UnitedHealthcare (80%) than any other insurer in our survey. UHC also had the lowest percentage of those who say they find the company trustworthy (81%).
Despite this, 90% of those polled said they would renew their policies. But even that score is lower than all but two of the carriers included in our rating.
Low deductibles can make healthcare more affordable for consumers, particularly for those who require frequent care. No insurer earned a particularly high score in this category; UnitedHealthcare’s score of 64% was in the middle of the pack.
A robust provider network and simple payment processes can also be important to consumers. UHC comes up short here, too. Among insurers in our survey, UHC ranked in the lower third in both categories.
UnitedHealthcare offers a wide range of health insurance products. Plans vary based on availability.
UHC also offers a variety of other coverages. Availability varies based on location and plan.
Policyholders can reach UnitedHealthcare by logging into their account and using the chat function. The insurer can also be reached by phone; hours vary by state.
Methodology
In 2025, Insure.com surveyed more than 2,000 insurance consumers through independent research firm Dynata. Customers named their life insurer and rated it on customer satisfaction, ease of service, policy offerings, billing, and their experience across different applicant types (seniors, middle-aged adults, young adults, people with pre-existing conditions, people who are overweight, and people who prefer no-exam coverage). We also asked whether they planned to keep their policy, would recommend their insurer, and trusted their insurer.
For insurers with enough survey responses, we added:
With guidance from Prof. David Marlett, Ph.D., Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University, we applied the following weights to determine each company’s final score:
Each insurer received a rating between 0.5 and 5 stars, with 5 stars representing the highest performance.