UnitedHealthcare’s Surest: What Is Surest? Is Surest Good for Healthcare?

Key Takeaways

• Surest is a groundbreaking health insurance product launched by UnitedHealthcare that requires only copays, no deductibles.
• Surest aims to reduce and even eliminate balance billing.
• Surest steers members to appropriate care. Ultimately, this helps reduce overall utilization and reduces cost of services for the member.
• While a major advantage of Surest is that costs are transparent through the app, they can also vary widely based on the provider. That can be a potential downside for members.

How Does Surest Work?

Surest is a group health insurance product that requires only copays from members, no deductible and no co-insurance. Employers provide it on a fully insured and self-funded basis. Members can look up providers on the UHC Choice Plus (PPO) network through the Surest app and see exact copay information for each service right in the app. 

Surest cleverly steers members to the highest quality and most cost effective providers. By doing so, this allows members to keep dollars in their pocket and serves as a claim mitigation strategy for employers – ultimately reducing overall costs. 

Plus, employers that offer Surest could see an uptick in employee attraction and retention. Since this health insurance product is so convenient and gives employees more control over their healthcare choices, employers could see positive results in terms of employee sentiment. 

When users search for providers on Surest, UHC ranks providers on a 5-star rating, based on customer reviews. Surest users can see both prices and ratings to decide which provider they’d like to see. 

With Surest, UHC reports members typically pay 54% less of out-of-pocket compared to other health insurance plans. For example, instead of heading to an expensive hospital for a procedure, a member could get the same level of care at a free-standing clinic for much less.

Surest also has an out-of-pocket limit. This can help protect members from overpaying overall. 

Because members use the app to find care and pay only copays, Surest helps reduce balance billing. This makes the program even more convenient for members. 

There are also significant health insurance expense savings available to employers who use Surest. According to UHC, the Surest health plan led to lower claim costs exceeding $400 per member per year. 

The Surest health insurance product is currently available to businesses and organizations with groups of 51 or more members. In 2025, the product expands to businesses with groups of at least 2 members. Now is a great time for employers to learn more about Surest and consider it for their workforces. 

Why Surest, Why Now?

Health insurance has long been criticized for its opacity, complexity and lack of consumer-friendly options. Traditional plans often leave patients guessing about costs, in-network providers and the extent of their coverage until after they’ve received care. This uncertainty can lead to financial stress, deferred care or patients being blindsided by unexpected bills.

UHC recognized these pain points and designed Surest to address them directly. With cost-effective plans and complete transparency into pricing and provider options, consumers have more power and control over their healthcare. This can help them manage their budget and select the best level of care for their unique situation. 

Key Features of Surest

Surest has many advantages that have already made many employers and individuals consider it among their top healthcare choices. Some benefits include the following.

Cost Transparency

One of the standout features of Surest is its emphasis on upfront cost transparency. Traditional plans often come with confusing deductibles, copays and coinsurance. Surest provides clear, fixed prices for services. 

This means that members can know the exact cost of a procedure, doctor’s visit or medication before they make a decision. Surest allows for informed choices based on both quality in terms of provider ratings and cost.

Steering Members to Appropriate Care

Surest incorporates tools that help guide members to the most appropriate and cost-effective care. By providing detailed information about providers and treatment options, the plan encourages members to choose high-quality, lower-cost options.

This steering helps improves the care experience for members. It also helps employers and groups manage their claims more effectively. 

By reducing unnecessary or overly expensive treatments, Surest can help keep overall healthcare costs in check. This means more sustainable premiums and better financial outcomes for both the insurer and the insured.

No Deductibles

Another radical departure from the norm is Surest’s elimination of deductibles. Deductibles have long been a standard feature of most health insurance plans, requiring policyholders to pay a significant out-of-pocket amount before their insurance coverage kicks in. 

By removing this barrier, Surest allows members to access care without worrying about hitting a financial threshold first. That can encourage more timely and preventive care, which means your workforce stays healthier more often. 

Personalized Coverage Options

Surest also offers a high degree of flexibility and personalization. Members can tailor their coverage to suit their needs, opting for a base level of coverage, and then adding on additional benefits as needed. 

Enhanced Consumer Engagement

The Surest platform is designed to engage consumers more actively in their healthcare decisions. Through an intuitive app or online portal, members can compare providers, services and costs, all while accessing real-time information about their benefits.

This level of engagement encourages consumers to take a more proactive role in managing their health and healthcare expenses. While there is a minimal learning curve with using the app, the widespread adoption of technology today makes using Surest easy for most members once they’re signed up.

Why Surest Is Disruptive

The disruptive potential of Surest lies in its ability to challenge and potentially upend traditional group health insurance models. By prioritizing transparency, flexibility and consumer empowerment, Surest addresses many of the long-standing frustrations that consumers have had with the health insurance industry.

In a group health insurance market where complexity and confusion have often been the norm, Surest’s straightforward approach can be seen as a breath of fresh air. It not only simplifies the insurance experience, but also aligns more closely with the consumer-driven trends that are shaping other industries. As more consumers demand more control over their healthcare decisions, products like Surest that offer clarity and choice are likely to gain traction.

Moreover, Surest could pressure other insurance carriers to adopt similar practices or risk losing market share to UHC. If successful, Surest could spark a broader shift in the group health insurance industry toward more transparent, consumer-friendly products, making traditional plans less competitive.

UHC’s Surest product represents a bold and innovative step forward in the group health insurance landscape. By addressing key consumer pain points and offering a level of transparency and flexibility previously unheard of in the industry, Surest has the potential to be a game-changer. If it succeeds in gaining widespread adoption, it could reshape the health insurance market, setting a new standard for what consumers expect from their coverage. In an industry often resistant to change, Surest’s disruptive potential cannot be overstated. 

AZ Health Insurance Brokers is here to help our clients navigate evolving changes in the insurance industry. We can help you with getting to know Surest and any other insurance offering you’re interested in for your employees.

Whether you’re a business owner who wants to stay on top of insurance choices for your employees, or you’re an individual who wants the most cost-effective health insurance coverage for yourself or your family, we can help. Call 602.617.4107, email quotes@azhealthinsuracebrokers.com or fill out our online form, and we’ll be in touch.