You can find UnitedHealth plans in every state except New York. They have many different plans to help their members access healthcare.
In the United States individual and family plans are provided in three primary kinds of insurance plans. They are Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), and Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPO).
A PPO gives you maximum flexibility which is important. It also has the most expensive premium. PPO plans often provide out of network benefits, which means you can go to any facility you want. However, the insurance will cover less of the cost and you will cover the rest. That’s why it’s a good idea to find a provider in the network if possible.
An HMO is the least expensive monthly, but you can only use network doctors and facilities. Overall, United Healthcare works with over 1.3 million doctors and 6,700 hospitals and facilities, but your specific plan will have a smaller network focused on your local area. You’ll need to have a designated primary doctor and have them give you referrals for specialized care, which includes drug rehab.
An EPO requires you to choose in network doctors and facilities, but what I like about these plans is that you don’t need a referral to see a specialist. That means you have more flexibility about where and when you get the help you need.
UnitedHealth has insurance policies in almost every state. Make sure you fully understand your coverage. That will allow you to get the help you need while maximizing your insurance benefits.
United HealthCare also provides certain Medicare plans. Medicare Advantage through UHC includes the same benefits as Original Medicare and usually has a prescription benefit. The plan may also offer vision and dental coverage along with free fitness memberships and more.
Both Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans have premiums and deductibles along with other out of pocket costs like copayments or coinsurance. One advantage of Medicare Advantage plans is that they often have set copayments instead of having you pay a percentage of the bill. This ensures you know what to expect and that there are no great surprises when you receive your healthcare bills.
With Original Medicare you can see any participating Medicare providers or facilities in the United States. With Medicare Advantage, you may be required to see providers or seek care with in network providers only. There are exceptions in cases of emergency or urgent care situations.
UnitedHealth also offers Medicare Supplement plans which are known as Medigap. Medigap is a supplemental insurance plan that helps you pay some out of pocket expenses such as your coinsurance. These plans are meant to help Medicare be more affordable.
For people with special needs UHC offers a Medicaid plan called Dual Eligible Special Needs plans (D SNP). This type of plan offers participants additional coverage because it allows for individuals to be covered under both Medicaid and Medicare if they meet eligibility requirements.
They also offer Medicare Part D which is a plan for prescription medication coverage.
United HealthCare offers Medicaid plans to lower income individuals and families in specific states. For qualifying children and adolescents, they offer a medicaid plan called Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP).
Medicaid generally offers coverage for addiction treatment but you need to find a provider that accepts Medicaid coverage. Each state has its own state and county funded programs that may accept this insurance plan and often you can get care for $0 or a very low fee.