Concerning Interaction With UHC Rep

Hi guys,

I posted a few days ago regarding a surgery I have coming up, and called my carrier, UHC, to follow up on some of the great advice you guys gave me.

During the conversation with the UHC rep, we were discussing costs and the basic logistics of coinsurance; once the rep saw what my surgery is for (SI joint fusion), she switched gears and started asking about my height, weight, current medications, and whether or not I’ve tried heat/ice to treat my injury. Immediately following those questions, which I begrudgingly answered, she said back pain is often caused by anxiety, and proceeded to send me an email that I never asked for regarding mental health resources for anxiety and chronic pain. I let her know I have imaging, records on all the conservative care I’ve done, and opinions from multiple doctors that support my pain being very real and very much not something that a heating pad can fix. She immediately backtracked and said she wasn’t trying to imply anything.

Am I crazy, or is this standard practice? My concern is that she was “testing” me and could leave some kind of note on my file that could prevent my surgery from being approved. I’ve called UHC several times and not once has a rep asked such invasive questions.