Consumer complaint received 2024-12-31 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Other banking product or service
Issue: Managing an account — Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed
Company: OPTUM BANK, INC.
State: MI

Complaint narrative:
Optum has been holding the funds in my FSA for months, at first denying claims, then appearing to approve claims after being challenged, and then repeatedly claiming to have released funds by mailed check, without a check actually being sent or received. Two claims have been made and resulted in these issues. Phone calls made to Optum over the months of XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX have resulted in repeated assurances that funds had been approved and disbursed -- but the funds remain locked away. A total of over {$2000.00} has been deducted from my pay, but I have absolutely no confidence that any claims will actually result in disbursement before the deadline of XX/XX/XXXX for all claims against that amount. Optum 's business model appears to be to deny, delay, and dissemble. After these two claims were delayed for so long, I applied for a debit card so that I could more easily access funds -- and immediately began receiving challenges from Optum requiring " additional proof '' for expenses to demonstrate they are valid medical expenses. These purchases included both over the counter cold and pain relief medicines, as well as copayments on prescription drugs -- expenses so obviously and clearly valid and approved for FSA expenditures that the additional proof requirement can only be seen as a further hurdle and disincentive to actually apply for or use the funds under Optum 's management. Furthermore, the requirement for every small-dollar amount transaction, when combined with the cumbersome process Optum 's website offers of supplying additional proof, and further combined with Optum 's XXXX over its denials of claims ( i.e. not stating the rationale for a claim being denied ) leads to even greater disincentive to file claims. Ultimately, this bank is a bad actor, acting in bad faith against the interests of its clients, locking away funds behind a wall of cumbersome and burdensome proof requirements, supplying categorical reassurances that they are acting in earnest to issue repayments on claims, and evidently not actually releasing funds in a timely manner, if at all. Requests for information on who to complain to, how to file complaints, and who regulates their conduct and business were met with non-responses and further assurances that they were doing all they could to process claims in a timely fashion. Of the three claims I have filed since XXXX, XXXX was denied despite a letter of medical necessity as required by the IRS, one was denied, then after a call disputing the denial, Optum 's representative claimed it had never been denied but was approved, but no check had been issued, and that claim has been " approved '' but not disbursed since XXXX, and another claim from XXXX was approved but a check not received until late XXXX ( despite a XXXX business day turn around time claimed by Optum ). Optum Bank does not act with the best interest of its customers in mind. Its assurances and refusal to disclose information about denials or complaints processes point to its corrupt business practices as being firmly entrenched in its policies and culture.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation