Consumer-Driven Health (CDH) plan
We offer an alternative solution for large employers looking for a cost-effective, high-quality health care plan. By their very design, consumer-driven health plans engage consumers by imparting educating and providing the tools necessary to make informed decisions on the best ways to manage their own health care. The program is designed to transform "passive participants" into value-conscious consumers and is revolutionizing the health care industry.

Employers can choose one of two funding options to help employees pay for and manage their health care expenses; a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Health Reimbursement Account (HRA).

An HSA allows employees to deposit money into a bank savings account, pre-tax, to use for qualified medical expenses now or in the future. The employer can contribute to the account, but the employee owns it, and can carry over any unused funds from year to year. It is not a "use it or lose it" plan.

An HRA is funded by the employer. Employer distributions are tax-deductible, as are employee reimbursements. The employer can determine how much to contribute, which expenses can be covered, and any other applicable rules.

A personalized consumer experience
We believe that greater personalization – and increased personal relevance – is at the heart of better health decisions and a great level of personal engagement. We proactively reach out to employees with personally relevant messages in an effort to maximize the value they receive for their health care dollar, enjoy better health outcomes, and more easily manage their health. These include phone-based and online education, including personalized, interactive health and wellness programs; personal outreach through individualized messaging; and health coaching/NurseLine^SM.

Plan members also receive the tools, knowledge and support they need to become better health care consumers, including direct access to health care dollars, trusted health information and treatment decision support and online cost estimators to understand the complete cost of care.

From the start, our consumer-driven health plans have advanced the consumerism revolution in health care.

For more information on our consumer driven health business, products and services, refer to:

• Consumer-Driven Health Fact Sheet (pdf - 128k)
• Definity's In-Depth Look at CDH vs. PPO (pdf - 290k)
• Definity's Study of HSA Usage (pdf - 5MB)
• Definity Consumer-Driven Health Care Study Results (pdf - 368k)
  

Note: All data is sourced from 2006 internal studies conducted by UnitedHealth Group companies.

UnitedHealthcare Choice
UnitedHealthcare Choice is an "open access" health care plan. Your employees can choose any provider they’d like to see in the UnitedHealthcare National Network. 97% of the population in the country has access to these providers. There are over 606,000 physicians and 5,015 hospitals nationwide. Members must stay in the network to receive benefits. They have the freedom to choose their physician or specialist without visiting a “primary care physician” for a referral.

Advantages of the Choice plan include:

• Lower out-of-pocket costs for network care
• No claim forms or bills to worry about
• Access to UnitedHealthcare’s Personal Health Support program
• UnitedHealthcare’s Web site myuhc.com^® for information on benefit eligibility, coverage, account history, claims status, physicians and hospitals, estimated out-of pocket costs, health plan options, health and wellness topics, health records and to ask medical professionals questions online

UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus
Choice Plus offers the same key benefits as Choice, including providing members with access to an expansive network of providers. The primary difference between the two plans is that Choice Plus offers members a level of benefits should they choose to seek care outside the network. Like Choice, Choice Plus does not require members to designate a “primary care physician” to coordinate care, nor are specialist referrals required for eligible services.

Managed Indemnity
UnitedHealthcare Managed Indemnity offers your employees a flexible solution for their health care needs. As a managed version of “traditional” indemnity insurance, your employees make their own health care decisions, including which licensed doctors and specialists to visit. UnitedHealthcare covers a percentage of the medical expenses once payment has been made for the annual deductible. Managed Indemnity does offer some of the cost-effective programs commonly associated with other, more managed insurance plans. We allow care management and additional capabilities.

UnitedHealthcare Options – a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
UnitedHealthcare Options PPO has access to a broad network of physicians and hospitals nationwide. The plan design offers two levels of coverage – a higher level of benefits apply for in-network services, and a lower level of benefits is available for non-network services with somewhat higher deductibles and co-payments. The plan includes a full spectrum of covered services and direct access to specialists without the need to gain approval from a primary care doctor.

UnitedHealthcare Catalyst

UnitedHealthcare Catalyst is a very flexible medical plan that allows a range of cost alternatives not otherwise available in a consumer friendly framework. Catalyst is a lower cost health plan alternative that combines first dollar pre-deducible medical, pharmacy, vision and behavioral health coverage with catastrophic medical. There is also a dedicated call center for members.

 It is attractive to employers struggling to maintain health care coverage and 3,000+ employers that have a large population of lower-wage and/or part-time workers.  The rider - first dollar pre-deductible coverage - can be either network-only or both network and out-of-network.