Golden Rule Health Insurance Company Review [2024]

Golden Rule insurance offers traditional short-term health insurance, extended temporary health insurance, Medicare Advantage, and numerous supplemental add-ons. The Golden Rule insurance company underwrites short-term policies for its parent company, UnitedHealthcare, in 25 states and Washington, D.C. However, the company is plagued by negative reviews.

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Scott W. Johnson

Licensed Insurance Agent

Scott W Johnson is an independent insurance agent in California. Principal Broker and founder of Marindependent Insurance Services, Scott brings over 25 years of experience to his clients. His Five President’s Council awards prove he uses all he learned at Avocet, Sprint Nextel, and Farmers Insurance to the benefit of his clients. Scott quickly grasped the unique insurance requirements of his...

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Travis Thompson

Licensed Insurance Agent

Travis Thompson has been a licensed insurance agent for nearly five years. After obtaining his life and health insurance licenses, he began working for Symmetry Financial Group as a State Licensed Field Underwriter. In this position, he learned the coverage options and limits surrounding mortgage protection. He advised clients on the coverage needed to protect them in the event of a death, critica...

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UPDATED: Feb 5, 2024

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Quick Facts

  • Golden Rule offers individual, employer, Medicare Advantage, and BadgerCare in 25 states plus Washington, D.C.
  • UnitedHealthcare acquired Golden Rule in 2003 and has the smaller company underwriting short-term insurance policies
  • Golden Rule offers extended short-term health insurance as well as several supplemental options for primary policies
  • While some people speak highly of their policies, most customers leave negative reviews

For many Americans, the price of healthcare can be a nightmare. Even with health insurance, medical bills can grow outrageously expensive. If you don’t have health insurance, even a basic medical emergency (like a broken leg) can bankrupt you.

Health insurance is for more than severe injuries and sudden illnesses. You also gain access to important preventative care, such as regular doctor check-ins, flu shots, and diagnostic tests.

While it’s ideal to have a permanent health insurance policy, situations arise when you might need short-term health coverage.

Golden Rule Insurance can provide short-term coverage for you and your family. They write policies in 25 states and Washington, D.C. for their parent company UnitedHealthcare.

If you want to see affordable Golden Rule insurance rates, you should still compare prices with other companies. Enter your ZIP code into our free tool to see what quotes might look like for you.

What is Golden Rule health insurance?

Golden Rule insurance was founded in 1940 in Illinois. In 2003, this small insurance company was acquired by UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare has repurposed Golden Rule to underwrite policies, specifically short-term health insurance.

UnitedHealthcare (and Golden Rule under it) is part of the Fortune 500 company UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurance provider in America.

Golden Rule has several health insurance options, including short-term insurance for individuals and families, dental insurance, critical illness plans, and vision coverage.

Golden Rule insurance gives customers access to over 6,500 hospitals and 1.4 million physicians.

Golden Rule TriTerm Insurance

Most Americans get their health insurance covered by their jobs. However, not everyone has a job that provides health insurance. In this case, getting private insurance will meet your needs. Self-employed people, retirees, and employees at companies that don’t offer coverage are great candidates for this insurance.

While the ideal choice for insurance is to have a permanent plan, that’s not always possible. That’s why Golden Rule has several options for short-term insurance. The first of their plans is the TriTerm plan

The TriTerm plan is unique amongst other short-term health insurance options because it allows for three years rather than the standard one year.

Another way this plan is unique is that it offers access to more healthcare services than traditional short-term insurance. Rather than being for emergency visits only, you’ll have access to preventative care services.

You have to wait six months to access this feature, but after this initial period you’re allotted $200 per person per year to visit the doctor for anything, emergency or preventative. You can also visit your doctor anytime you’d like, with a $50 copay for the first four visits per year.

A final benefit to the TriTerm plan that you won’t see on many temporary insurance policies is the option to add more coverage. You can add accident coverage, Accident ProGap, dental, or vision to your health insurance to make sure you and your family are fully covered.

Golden Rule Short-Term Health Insurance

Golden Rule’s short-term plan is for people who need insurance for a short period of time. This option is commonly used by people who need insurance while they wait for a job to start or because they missed open enrollment.

You might benefit from temporary insurance if:

  • You’re about to fall off your parent’s insurance
  • You’re about to lose COBRA coverage
  • You’re waiting for ACA coverage to start
  • You’re waiting for Medicare
  • You have good health, and you’re under 65
  • You’re about to lose your coverage through divorce

When you need temporary insurance, you usually need it quickly. With Golden Rule short-term insurance, your insurance usually starts the day after you sign up.

Golden Rule Medicare Advantage

Golden Rule offers a convenient way to get your Medicare coverage. You can have Medicare Parts A, B, and D into one easy-to-access plan. It also gives you access to Medicare Advantage extras.

With a Golden Rule Medicare Advantage plan, you can purchase additional coverage in the form of:

  • Nurse helplines
  • Fitness programs or gym memberships
  • Dental, eye, and hearing coverage
  • Wellness benefits

Seniors over the age of 65 get a lot of coverage through basic Medicare, but they can get all the gaps covered with Golden Rule Medicare Advantage.

Golden Rule Supplemental Insurance

If you already have a primary health insurance policy, Golden Rule has several options to add even more value and protection to your policy.

Supplement options include:

  • Hospital and doctor
  • Accident insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Critical illness
  • Hospital indemnity
  • Term life
  • SafeTrip travel insurance

These additional options cover everything from accidental injuries, dental work, illness while you’re traveling, and vision exams.

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How much does Golden Rule insurance cost?

The exact price of your Golden Rule insurance quote will be different based on your unique circumstances. However, you can check below to get an idea of what insurance will cost you.

PlanDeductibleMonthly price
TriTerm$5,000$176.42
Hospital and Doctor$5,000$138.56
Copay Select Max$5,000$214.34
Plan 80 Max$5,000$221.23

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The main factor Golden Rule looks at is your location. Since these are short-term plans, they don’t dive too deep into your details before they give you a quote.

Golden Rule Health Insurance Reviews

Unfortunately, Golden Rule insurance does not have the best online reviews from customers. There are some happy people, but reviews tend to be negative.

Happy customers write that they are surprised with the level of customer service. From people having costly mistakes erased to extensive options for doctor visits, some people really enjoy their coverage with Golden Rule.

There are more unhappy people, however. Customers say that the claims process from the Golden Rule insurance company is a nightmare. They say that Golden Rule does its best not to pay claims and misrepresents what health services are covered.

As for professional ratings, the Better Business Bureau doesn’t have a rating posted for Golden Rule or its parent company UnitedHealthcare. However, there are hundreds of customer complaints listed under UnitedHealthcare.

A.M. Best has a more positive outlook on UnitedHealthcare. It gives them an A- for its financial strength.

Read more: UnitedHealthcare Short-term Insurance

Find the Best Short-Term Insurance

There are many reasons why you might need temporary health insurance and Golden Rule can help. However, you should go over what your policy covers carefully before you sign any paperwork to make sure you understand what you can do.

If you want to buy Golden Rule insurance, you should check with other companies to find the best rates and coverage possible. Enter your ZIP code into our free tool to see what rates might look like for you.

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