I think comparison to Kaiser is very telling on the pros and cons. I have options for united and Kaiser at work. Kaiser is slightly cheaper but comes with major pros and cons. Cons are major internal gatekeeping for drugs and procedures. Pros are no getting stuck between provider insurer billing disputes, and most of your data under one roof.

Kaiser works well for people willing to fight their doctors to get the care they want.

United works well for people willing to fight their insurance billing department. It also works for people planning to hit their maximum annual out of pocket limit.