UnitedHealthcare to Launch New Virtual-First Health Plan to Help People Access a Dedicated Care Team 24/7 and Obtain Quality Care at a Lower Cost
19 October 2021 - 9:03AM
Business Wire
- NavigateNOW is a new “virtual-first” health plan
designed to provide people with a personalized virtual care team to
provide medical and behavioral health services with a seamless
hand-off for in-person treatment if needed
- New health plan for select employers helps improve health
outcomes and creates a simpler experience, while offering members
$0 copays for common services, unlimited 24/7 access to care and
reducing plan premiums by approximately 15%
UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company,
announced the launch of NavigateNOW, a virtual-first health plan
that offers an integrated approach to provide care both virtually
and in-person. Through this new health plan, eligible
UnitedHealthcare members will be able to receive various types of
care, including wellness, routine, chronic condition management,
urgent and behavioral health services, wherever they are.
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New virtual-first health plans such as
NavigateNOW are helping provide people with access to care in a
simpler, more coordinated way, while reducing the total cost of
plan premiums. Source: UnitedHealthcare
Starting this year for select employers in nine markets,
NavigateNOW will provide people with a comprehensive medical plan
that offers a simpler, more convenient experience at approximately
15% less premium cost than traditional benefit plans. People in the
NavigateNOW plan will receive 24/7 access to a personalized Optum
care team for primary, urgent and behavioral health care services,
backed by a national UnitedHealthcare network of care
professionals.
“By collaborating with Optum, UnitedHealthcare is developing a
more integrated and coordinated health care system that uses
technology and personal support to help encourage whole-person
health, which may help prevent and detect disease before it
starts,” said Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer,
UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual. “UnitedHealthcare and
Optum will continue working together to modernize our approach to
health benefits and care delivery, using technology and data to
help make it more convenient for our members to access various
types of medical care to support their physical and mental
well-being.”
Enrolled members will pay $0 for virtual and in-person primary
care and behavioral health visits, virtual urgent care and most
generic medications, with unlimited chat, online scheduling and
on-demand, same-day appointments. NavigateNOW members also gain
access to a wearable device well-being program that enables people
to earn more than $1,000 per year by meeting certain daily activity
targets, including for walking, cycling, swimming and strength
training (among dozens of others).
NavigateNOW is being offered to employers in the following
markets: Little Rock, Ark.; Fort Meyers, Fla.; Pittsburgh;
Springfield, Mass.; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; Richmond, Va.;
Indianapolis; Dallas; and Houston.
Enrolled members in NavigateNOW will be able to complete a
health profile to indicate personal preferences, current
medications and existing health conditions. Based on the
assessment, each member is matched with a personalized care team,
which may include a board-certified physician and other care
providers who will work together to deliver primary, urgent and
behavioral health care. This care team is led by a dedicated
primary care provider who will virtually deliver care and
seamlessly connect the individual to in-person Optum providers and
other health professionals when necessary. The integrated care
model is designed to identify health issues earlier, promote the
use of preventive care, and deliver whole-person care in the most
appropriate setting.
For instance, during virtual primary care appointments, Optum
providers will have the ability to connect the UnitedHealthcare
member with behavioral health services within the virtual platform
as needed. This will help facilitate additional virtual or
in-person behavioral health appointments, including therapy,
medication management and additional care coordination with other
health services.
“Patients want more options for getting care that is convenient
for them and their lives,” said Kristi Henderson, Optum senior vice
president for digital transformation, and CEO of Optum Virtual
Care, which includes Optum’s national virtual-first medical group.
“Our work with UnitedHealthcare is designed to help make it simpler
for patients and members to interact with their care providers by
bringing together our digital resources and national clinical
footprint to provide a more seamless, connected experience.”
NavigateNOW is supported by Optum’s new virtual care platform
and virtual medical group, which helps bring simplicity to getting
care whenever and wherever it is needed. The proprietary virtual
care platform enables UnitedHealthcare members to schedule
appointments online and provides multiple ways for them to
communicate with their care team, such as live chat and video
visits. If after a virtual visit a member needs additional health
services, such as for a procedure or an X-ray, the care team can
use the platform’s precision navigation tools to help connect the
individual to a care provider in UnitedHealthcare’s national
network, including over 1,600 facilities in Optum’s national
ambulatory provider network.
NavigateNOW is the latest of several UnitedHealthcare virtual
care offerings supported by the Optum virtual care platform and
other national telehealth providers. These expanded virtual care
services are part of broader efforts by UnitedHealthcare and Optum
to help enable people to use technology to access high-quality care
at a lower cost.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier
lives and making the health system work better for everyone by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full
spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and
Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with
more than 1.3 million providers and care professionals, and 6,500
hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also
provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned
and operated health care facilities in South America.
UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC
on Twitter.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211018006020/en/
Will Shanley UnitedHealthcare (714) 204-8005
will.shanley@uhc.com
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