UnitedHealthcare Health Insurance Plans Explained

Key Takeaways

• UnitedHealthcare is one of the country’s largest work health insurance providers, with an extensive national network of care options that employees may find value in.
• Other advantages of UnitedHealthcare plans include access to wellness programs, like smoking cessation and weight loss support, as well as a mobile app and technology that provide high visibility and ease of use for healthcare plans.
• Because UnitedHealthcare’s offerings are incredibly diverse and numerous, a potential downside of using this provider is that it requires diligence to stay on top of evolving complexities and plan details. 

Pro: Extensive Network

UnitedHealthcare’s extensive national provider network is a significant advantage for employers, ensuring that employees have access to a wide range of doctors, specialists and hospitals. This network flexibility can lead to higher employee satisfaction and better healthcare outcomes, since workers have more control over the providers they see and the care they seek out.

Pro: Very Competitive Products

Like throughout the rest of the country, UnitedHealthcare has a significant presence in Arizona. In 2024, AZ Big Media ranked it as number four out of the top work health insurance companies in Arizona. 

Because it has such as strong presence in the state and such a large customer base, UnitedHealthcare is able to offer very competitive products in AZ. Businesses can find some of the lowest prices for group health insurance available from UnitedHealthcare.

Pro: Wellness Programs

UnitedHealthcare offers a variety of wellness programs that help motivate employees to maintain their health. Healthy employees are better for business, as the World Economic Forum reports businesses that invest in their workforce’s health and well-being have a competitive advantage and increased profitability. 

Wellness programs provided by UnitedHealthcare include:

• Fitness incentives, such as the Rally program that provides rewards for healthy lifestyle actions and UnitedHealthcare Motion, which rewards participants for exercising in the form of out-of-pocket medical expense coverage
• Quit for Life smoking cessation program, which includes free nicotine replacement therapy for those who are eligible, 24/7 access to coaches and tools to quit tobacco or nicotine use, and a personalized Quit Plan
• Real Appeal online weight loss program, which includes weekly online group sessions led by coaches, a personalized dashboard and tools and resources for weight loss

Employers can promote UnitedHealthcare wellness programs like these to demonstrate a strong investment in employee health. This can help reduce the risk of negative impacts when employees don’t feel like they’re valued. For example, in 2024, “Fast Company” reported that when employees believe their employer doesn’t care about their well-being, 60% are at least somewhat likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months.

Pro: Financial Assistance

UnitedHealthcare also has a feature called UnitedHealthcare Care Cash, which is a preloaded debit card that can be used to pay for specific eligible network healthcare expenses. This feature helps reduce the total cost of care for employees. 

Pro: Technology Integration

UnitedHealthcare is known for its user-friendly technology that makes it easier for members to manage their healthcare. For example, using the UnitedHealthcare mobile app and online dashboard, members can:

• Find network providers, see pricing and compare ratings and reviews
• Check benefits and coverage, including copay and coinsurance amounts, plan spending and how a plan covers different types of services and care
• Refill prescriptions, look up drug prices and search for pharmacies
• View the status of new and past claims, including the amount billed, what a plan paid and how much is owed
• Access plan ID cards and add health plans to an Apple Wallet or Google Wallet
• Receive virtual care if a plan includes this benefit

The convenience of the UnitedHealthcare mobile app and technology enables members to gain increased visibility into their plan usage and access resources that can help them maintain or improve their health. 

Pro: Surest

Surest is a UnitedHealthcare company that’s unlike anything in the market we’ve ever seen. It’s available to employers with 51+ employees and is offered on a fully insured, self-funded basis. Surest reports employers see an average savings of 11% when using Surest compared to traditional group plans, making this a product worth considering in addition to a traditional group product.

The Surest healthcare product points members to quality and cost-effective care from UnitedHealthcare providers and only requires copays, no deductibles. Surest users can search for medical issues they’re facing, such as “sinus infection”. Surest will then offer a variety of provider options available, such as virtual, in-person and urgent care, along with pricing. 

A member can then click through to compare various options and copay costs for whatever type of provider they’re interested in, as well as see a map of providers in their area. Each provider listing includes details like reviews, copay costs, scheduling and what’s included in a visit.

Surest gives employers potentially more control over health insurance budgets for employees and gives employees increased visibility into the choice of their healthcare providers and the services they can get. Since employees can see the most cost-effective care options and compare what’s available, that can potentially curve healthcare utilization among employees in the right direction, as members are driven to the right place to seek care.

Con: Lots to Manage

While UnitedHealthcare is one of the top health insurance offerings available, there are also some potential downsides to choosing this provider. The company has a large number of product offerings, networks and nuances. There’s also a revolving door of adjusting wellness programs. It can be tricky to stay on top of all the details. 

If you’re going to deploy a UnitedHealthcare option, you’ll likely want an in-house expert or professional benefits firm partner to help you stay updated on changing developments that can impact your employees and your health insurance budget. There’s a lot of complexity to manage in terms of offerings when you use UnitedHealthcare. 

Need Healthcare for Your Employees? Contact Our Team

If you’re interested in providing your employees with affordable healthcare options, the team at AZ Health Insurance Brokers can help. We can work with you to understand your budget and the type of coverage you want to provide, and show you options that fit your needs. 

Contact us for a free consultation, by calling 602.617.4107, emailing quotes@azhealthinsuracebrokers.com or filling out the form online. We’ll be in touch.