Practice 37 UnitedHealth Group interview questions covering healthcare policy, data ethics, and patient outcomes.
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Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
The members and people that the team at UnitedHealth Group works with can be going through some very trying times in their lives. Their claims team may be working with people who are struggling to pay bills or have discovered that they have a life-changing diagnosis. Those working in direct patient care and care in the community can face a number of emotional situations. It is important to the company's success that every interaction they have with patients and members leads to a bright spot in their day, so your interviewer wants to hear that you will bring that ability to the role you are interviewing for. Put some thought into a time when your actions and/or words brought happiness into someone's life. As you answer, paint a clear picture of how you did this and why you felt it was important.

Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
"As you are aware, my background is in drug and alcohol counseling, and ensuring that those recovering from addiction find that bright spark or emotion is very important in their recovery. During my time working on an intense inpatient unit, having really simple conversations about family and hobbies could provide that bright light at the end of the tunnel and I became very good at having these conversations. I remember one particular patient who was in detox for heroin addiction and was having a very tough initial few days on the unit. I took extra time that day to sit down and just talk about life, to find what it was outside of their addiction that truly made them happy. After finding out it was video gaming, I sought permission to get a unit brought into his room the next day and the patient was so excited and thankful. In this role with UHG, I will take pride in taking the extra time to ensure the happiness of the providers and members I will be working with."

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Anonymous Answer
One of our guests wanted to propose to his girlfriend, so when they were out of their suite, we set up a private dining table with roses and chocolate-dipped strawberries and a chilled bottle of champagne. Also, we had it worked out with the guest that he had pre-order dinner through room service to be at the room at a specific time. All the planning was carried out perfectly, and his girlfriend said yes to the marriage proposal.

Rachelle's Feedback
This is such a great story! It must have been fun to be involved in this as well. A great example of catering to your customers' unique needs.
Anonymous Answer
In my previous role as a patient coordinator, I was assisting a patient's wife with paperwork while her husband went in for his post-op appointment. He just had surgery to have a cancerous mole removed which was successfully done. I sensed the wife was a bit nervous, so I began to chit chat with her while she waited. She mentioned she wanted to take her husband to a special dinner to celebrate the successful surgery. Unfortunately, She couldn't get a reservation at this particular restaurant on such short notice. I happened to know someone who works at that restaurant, as its a local one in town, so I called in a favor and was able to book her a reservation for her and her husband for that evening. The next day, I received a sweet phone call from the patient and his wife, thanking me for going above and beyond for them.

Rachelle's Feedback
Wow-what an incredible example of going beyond expectations to make someone's day. I love this example as it highlights the fact that you listen to others and actively think about how you can make a difference.
Anonymous Answer
I worked with a patient who had received a high bill for what she thought her insurance would cover completely. Instead of simply telling her she needed to follow up with the insurance company, I initiated follow-up by asking for a coding review. Once I received the results and learned her bill was coded correctly, I contacted the physician's office. I learned that a number of diagnoses were attached to the procedure which caused the bill to increase. I followed up with the patient to explain the changes. Even though there was a good reason for the expense, and we were unable to be lower the bill, I advised her about financial assistance and a payment plan. She was extremely grateful for the work I had devoted to her case.

Cindy's Feedback
This is a great answer. It is super detailed and gives the interviewer a clear picture of the "delight" you inspired and the trouble you went through.
Anonymous Answer
'Treat them like you would like to be treated, this is my motto. You can never go wrong by applying this to your workday in day out. A customer had a hard time understanding their invoice. I explained a few times, but I could feel that they felt bad for having me explain repeatedly, yet he had a lot of questions that still lingered around. I voiced my concern and said I am here to provide answers. Please, don't feel bad; I don't mind explaining again; I have been in your position before. I stayed with our customer and explained further until things became clear for him. It was a long phone conversation but turned out to be fruitful. By the time we ended the conversation, he sounded very happy and grateful for having to take the time to explain things.
Marcie's Feedback
Perfect! This is an excellent example of an instance when you provided amazing customer service and made a customer happy. Great job!
Anonymous Answer
I once received a call from an irate patient about a bill she received from the lab. She stated that she was struggling because had she just gotten a divorce, and she was a single mother. While I spoke with her, I was understanding and showed empathy towards the patient. I reviewed her lab requisition, and all she needed was a dx code. I followed up with the physician and the lab to add the correct codes, and her bill was cleared. The patient was so thankful, and that's what makes my day - being able to help people in any way I can.

Amanda's Feedback
This is a great example that illustrates your ability to provide exceptional service, take the initiative to resolve the issue, and turn an upset customer into a delighted customer.
Anonymous Answer
A client was reassigned to me that was having a huge billing issue for almost a year that the finance team was unable to resolve. I did the research and was able to solve their billing issue and the client was overjoyed.
Marcie's Feedback
How did the client show that they were overjoyed? Give specific details about the billing issue and how you resolved it. Also, consider mentioning why it was important to you to help the customer. Do you get satisfaction and joy out of making a customer happy?
Anonymous Answer
talk about create employ webcast to share financial updates
Marcie's Feedback
It sounds like you have an example in mind to cite here. Make sure to fully explain what the situation was and how you made the customer happy. Assure the interviewer that you realize the importance of providing exceptional customer service.
Anonymous Answer
We had a customer that we had never had a contract with - it was our largest customer. Our business had always been on a purchase-order basis. We wanted to pursue a long-term contract and I was able to negotiate that with the sales team, which was a big win.
Marcie's Feedback
Wow! Sounds impressive. Don't forget, however, to go into exactly how your actions here delighted the customer. It sounds like the sale benefited the company, but how did your personal interaction with the customer satisfy them and bring them 'joy'?
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Written by Ryan Brunner
37 Questions & Answers • UnitedHealth Group

By Ryan

By Ryan