Want to Pay Less for Your Doctor Visits? There’s an App for That

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Visiting the doctor shouldn’t be more of a pain than what’s ailing you. But, ask anyone who’s tried to book their first appointment through a new health care plan and they’ll tell you otherwise.

And they aren’t alone. According to research from a recent Alegeus consumer report, 43 percent of adults don’t engage with their health plan in a meaningful way —.i.e. booking appointments, finding in-network docs, scheduling preventive care screenings, comparing costs. The lack of engagement isn’t just affecting the number of sick days people take, it’s costing employers an estimated $1,685 in productivity losses per employee, per year.

That’s what led the team at UnitedHealthcare to develop the Health4Me mobile app. The UnitedHealthcare Health4Me^® app puts UnitedHealthcare customers back in control of their plan by laying out the tools they need to help find and compare doctors, estimate and compare costs, understand their coverage and book appointments online.

With the Health4Me app, UnitedHealthcare members can learn about their health plan and make decisions on what procedures, doctors and plans best fit their lifestyle. Using innovative tools like the myHealthcare Cost Estimator, Health4Me gives members the insight they may need to use their health care plans.

myHealthcare Cost Estimator provides an estimated cost for treatments or procedures and how the cost may be impacted by individuals’ deductibles, coinsurance, or out-of-pocket maximum. No additional cost for UnitedHealthcare members, the myHealthcare Cost Estimator generates an estimate of what your employees are responsible for paying, plus insight to help plan and budget for any upcoming procedures or doctor’s visits.

An estimated 36 percent of members pay less when they’re able to search and review cost before receiving services, according to a 2015 UnitedHealthcare Internal Claims Analysis. And when finding care is easy, it can translate into employees using their benefits more wisely by receiving care in network and choosing less expensive alternatives for their pharmacy and treatment options.

Innovative ideas come from making our lives easier so we can live the best one possible. To learn more about how UnitedHealthcare inspires and fosters innovation, visit uhc.com/phillyinnovation.

All UnitedHealthcare members can access a cost estimator online tool at myuhc.com. Depending on your specific benefit plan and the ZIP code that is entered, either the myHealthcare Cost Estimator or the Treatment Cost Estimator will be available. A mobile version of myHealthcare Cost Estimator is available in the Health4Me mobile app, and additional ZIP codes and procedures will be added soon. This tool is not intended to be a guarantee of your costs or benefits. Your actual costs and/or benefits may vary. When accessing the tool, please refer to the Terms and Conditions of Use and Why Your Costs May Vary sections for further information regarding cost estimates. Refer to your health plan coverage document for information regarding your specific benefits.