Email spam filter too aggressive

BellSouth.net email address.  The spam filter that checks incoming email for spam creates TOO many false positives.  I normally use Outlook (desktop) to get my BellSouth email, but I'm finding that I'm not getting emails about my retirement accounts and even MEDICARE (this is from the official GOV account)!  I put these addresses in my contacts and created filters to keep them in the inbox, but it is not working.  My research leads me to believe emails get filtered as spam BEFORE they even get to my inbox, thus contacts, whitelists, filters, etc. won't even see them.

I tried to call AT&T Customer Service -- sent off to limbo -- twice.  Yahoo won't talk to me -- says I'm an AT&T customer.

My ideal solution is for AT&T/Yahoo/BellSouth to completely turn OFF the spam filter for my email account and let me deal with the spam locally in Outlook.  Many years ago, you could do that.  Is that so hard to allow this again?

I've had this BellSouth email address for 20+ years, so moving to a different email provider is out of the question.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  I'd really like to talk to an AT&T Customer Service rep who can actually work with my account to make this happen.  Thanks!  randy