Viabenefits Avis 

AVOID THEM - ENROLL FOR MEDICARE OPTIONS DIRECTLY THROUGH MEDICARE. My company said we need to work with them to enroll in Medicare supplements or advantage plans. Their information is bad. Their options are bad. Their customer service is bad. I wish I would have known I could have enrolled directly with Medicare.

Major problem with Via Benefits failure to send my Medicare supplement plan change to the Insurance company. Many hours on the phone with no resolution. They keep saying it was sent but the carrier kept saying it was not received. It would have been a simple thing to resend the application but they would not even consider that. Just keep saying it was sent. But it wasn't. Totally frustrating issue that they did not resolve. I did the enrollment myself directly with the carrier. I want to send them a complaint but cannot fine an email address.

Very rude customer service! I helped my dad activate the new Via Benefit debit card because he doesn't speak English well. The lady on the phone talked to me very rudely. She asked to talk to my dad, and I handed him the phone. The way she spoke was like a machine, and it was disrespectful. The card was activated, but the experience was ridiculous. We don't expect sweet talk, but at least treat us with better manners. We would call customer service only if we truly need help. Shame on you, lady! People who work with this attitude won't succeed in life.

Poor Customer Service responses, long wait to speak with anyone, website glitches and so much more.
Very hard for seniors to get help on phone or online. Do not recommend Via Benefits. Do not understand why businesses want to do business with this company.

I hadn't used my Via Benefits online account for years and had changed my phone number since. When I tried to reset my password it required access to the old phone number. I was told through the website itself and a chat representative that I needed to call to get this changed.

After calling 4 times and over 8hrs total on hold, they asked me a series of impersonal questions in an attempt to prove I am me. The 1st question was "which one of these 4 hospitals is the nearest to you?" I could not answer, because not only hadn't I heard of 3 of them, but even if they were local, if I hadn't used them before I would not know their location.

So, the questions have nothing to do with proving who I am and require a knowledge of the businesses in the area that even life long residents couldn't possibly answer. I could get lucky by guessing, but so could an imposter. This means that their verification system has nothing to do with verifying one's identity.

I still do not have access to my account and cannot get information I need through a phone call either. This means I have zero control over my account and cannot update my information, so am locked out.

Awful customer service and a verification system created to make it difficult to make necessary changes when needed. I do not recommend this company, but my former employer doesn't give me another option...

Via Benefits is totally worthless:
• Long wait times to get through to a representative
• Representatives are difficult to understand
• Representatives often have to transfer you to somebody else who can address your issue
• Escalation process doesn’t work
• Couldn’t obtain reimbursement request form
• Website is not user friendly
Wells Fargo made a mistake signing up with them.

I can’t create my VIA Benefits account due to an “information mismatch” error, even though everything is correct.

I only have 60 days to enroll or I permanently lose the $750 subsidy. When I asked for help, the chat agent said I had to pay $5 to a third-party service just to continue the conversation.

This should never be required for basic account setup, which is required to receive a contracted benefit.

I set up an appointment to talk with a Via benefits adviser about a drug prescription plan for 3 p.m. Pacific time on Nov. 7.

After waiting on the phone for about 35 minutes, I finally heard from someone. ``Hello, my name is Robbie and I'm your Via benefits adviser.'' She then asked for my name and as I recall my birthdate and zip code.

After answering, she paused for a few seconds and said, ``I'm tired.'' She apparently forgot that she had just talked with me because she then asked me the same questions. After answering them again, the line went dead. Talk about frustrating!

Because Via phone wait times are long, I gave up for the day.

I eventually decided to enroll in a new drug plan online as Via's website said I could. To my dismay I learned from a Via customer service rep last week that you can only do so after talking with a Via benefits adviser. Last-minute efforts to reach an adviser failed and I was forced to stick with my same drug prescription plan.

I have a feeling the problem with the exhausted adviser has something to do with companies demanding more with less as far as employees.

We needed to go through via benefits as part of the fermilab retirement reimbursement medical plan. At our scheduled phone appointed time in October, we were put on hold for an estimated 5 hr wait time with the call being dropped after an hr. When we finally got to talk to a licensed financial advisor (after days of repeated calling) he advised me to go from my current medigap F plan to a G plan to save money, but he didn't know it involved underwriting to enroll in it. (He also he complained that his computer kept freezing while he talked to us). As a result I was rejected for that plan and didn't know it until I called to arrange the 2026 premium payments (We were also unable to go online due to their technical problems blocking our access). When I finally got another advisor days later who did the underwriting I found out the plan was actually 3x cost of my current F plan coverage. It took a total of 30 +hrs, 18 phone calls, 3+ weeks, and some help from fermilab HR staff to remove all the wrong plans they put me on. (We're just continuing our current 2025 plans for 2026)
We decided we will not change any of our future current medicare plans using via benefits because they are so incredibly incompetent. Unfortunately we have to use them to get our fermilab retiree reimbursements. Their incompetence extends to their IT online services as well, with the online people unable to help us without ,"specialists" and "escalation" staff.
We have used Towers Watson/Via benefits for years and didn't have problems until this year; obviously they have decided to let go of their competent staff, including their customer service reps, IT support, and most of their licensed financial advisors.
We're hoping that they haven't also screwed up our fermi 2026 retirement reimbursements; we'll have to see.

I am a Kraft Heinz retiree and have to go through VIA for all insurance. United Healthcare and VIA were having issues this year, so I had to call and make sure all was good and I would get auto reimbursement. I made an appointment and had to wait over an hour for someone to get on the phone. Why in the heck did I have to make appointment and then wait over an hour. Stupid and then the lady really didn't know the answer to my question. Just told me it would be okay..

This company provides my company retirees in selecting health benefits (as needed). I called customer service to talk to a benefit expert a month ago for which I was given an appointment date and time (12/4/2025 at noontime). I called back exactly at noontime on 12/4/2025 and an unmanned system answered my call and after 55 minutes holding/waiting a human answered my call. All they do is refer us back to their website for assistance. In my opinion, this is a worst of the worst company.

My former employer (Schlumberger) contracted ViaBenefits to administer Medicare reimbursement. You have to sign up for a Medicare plan with ViaBenefits in order to qualify. ViaBenefits severely restricts the Medicare Advantage plan options ($ motives?) whereas there are tons more choices available on Medicare.gov. My Primary Care Provider becomes the casualty for 2026. ViaBenefits does not staff up to handle the call volume during Open Enrollment. First the long wait to get to the Customer Service, then another long hold to transfer to a "licensed" agent. The callback feature basically is somewhat of a joke. Some of their reps are probably located offshore. Scratchy phone line and poor English do NOT help with communication. I just don't see how ViaBenefits get ahold of big accounts from large employers.

Waited 2 hours 45 minutes on hold yesterday and was then disconnected. Waited 3 hours on hold today and the rep could not answer my questions and transfered me to another department which has a "107 minutes" delay (supposedly). It's certain to be longer than that (if I don't get disconnected first). Wells Fargo threw it's retirees into this dumpster fire.

VIA Benefits is a terrible company. The University of Minnesota engaged VIA Benefits when the U cancelled all their Medicare plans as of December 31st, 2025. The agents are clueless. I was given wrong information on more than one occasion. I was advised to sign up with a Medigap plan based on my parties medical needs. I did since I was told I could easily sign up for a part D prescription drug plan separately. That was not the case on VIA. My parties pharmacy was out of network or did not cover the medications needed. I was told I would need to get an exception for drug coverage. I called some organizations to try and figure out what to do. It is open enrollment, so I went to Medicare's site. I ended up enrolling in an Advantage plan. I enrolled 24 hours after signing up with VIA. I called VIA right after enrolling in the Advantage plan to have the pending VIA transaction cancelled. VIA kept claiming the pending application could not be cancelled even though I had signed up only 24 hours ago. Several calls later and over 2 hour wait times, each time, the pending plan has still not been cancelled. It is now almost a month later. I contacted the insurance company and sent a disenrollment form to them, regarding the VIA policy, so the pending application would not supercede my enrollment into the Advantage plan. I have spent several hours trying to deal with this situation. It has been very stressful. You do not want to do business with Via Benefits.

Absolutely horrible customer service. They have a so called “appointment system” that you can make an appointment to speak to an agent. But when you call in at your appointment time you go into the general customer service call queue. I called at my appointment time but an automated voice told me estimate wait time is 53 minutes. What is the point of making an appointment then? If I was not forced to use them I would drop them in a flash.
Update: 53 minutes ran into over an hour and it was after their office hours and my call was dropped.

ViaBenefits unnecessarily delays valid, monthly reimbursement payments for and additional 7-10 business days with bogus excuses everytime. Given the huge number of retirees stuck with this terrible company because our former employers dumped us there, and the billions of dollars funneling thru them, it is clear they are making millions of dollars in interest by unnecessarily holding money everyday instead of reimbursing us hostages in a timely manner. Seems like a good class action candidate. Also, their service is the absolute worst.....couldn't be worse. They have an insufficient and untrained workforce.

I enrolled in Medicare Advantage and Dental coverage through Via Benefits in September as I became eligible Dec. 1. The Medical plan went through but then didn't appear when enrolling for 2026 coverage. Ultimately I had to confirm with the Insurer that I am still enrolled for 2026 because when I called Via the rep was clueless and said I am probably still enrolled but should check with them. On Dec. 1, I found out that my dental policy is still pending for 2025, effective Dec. 1. I called, waited on hold, opted for the callback instead of waiting 60 + minutes and they never called back. Called again, was on hold for 30m minutes, and when I explained the problem, the rep told me I needed to speak with a "licensed" benefits advisor. Told me they would put me on hold again but not to select to request a call back if prompted because that was not working and they weren't calling people back. Waited another 2 hours on hold and the "licensed" rep told me that I needed to call the insurer because they cannot help me. Apparently the company makes money by getting people to enroll in plans but can't do much else.

The University of of Minnesota dumped all their retirees and we were forced to use VIA. Mn Aging Pathways and all other brokers could not work with us. Three days in a row zi was told I’d receive a call back in 244 minutes or other wild times. Never received a call. Today I tried to fill out an application and turns out she wasn’t a benefit specialist and knew less than I did. Basically from my 1st call this am at 8:30 I was tied up with VIA until 5:30. University of Minnesota sure showed that they don’t care about their retired professors- kick em to the curb!!!

Absolutely sucks. you will collect your life ins policy before you can get some on to answer the phone in customer service. Probable the worst company on the planet.

The whole organization seems to be incompetent. Their lack of knowledge cost me over $2000 this year.
Because of a simple error, I’ve been on the phone with them for over an hour just completing my application