Integrating specialty and medical benefits may simplify care and lower costs
From closing gaps in care to streamlining member experiences, better outcomes may be within reach when clients bundle benefits with a single carrier.
Employers looking to support the whole-person health of their employees can build health plans with benefits that go beyond medical and pharmaceutical coverage to address other areas of their health — including behavioral, financial and overall well-being.
When these products are purchased through separate or standalone carriers, employees may experience gaps in care, disjointed experiences and higher costs. But when bundled under a single carrier, employers and employees may gain additional advantages.
Specialty benefits — such as dental, vision, life and disability — can help employers deliver well-rounded health benefits. In fact, surveyed employers ranked specialty benefits as the third most important benefit to include in group health insurance, after medical and pharmacy.1
Integrating specialty with other benefits may lead to more proactive identification of potential health issues, increased member engagement and significant health care cost savings.
Reducing the cost of care for employees
Many people struggle to pay for unexpected bills, with nearly 50% of surveyed U.S. adults indicating they are unable to pay a $500 surprise medical bill.2
When supplemental health plans3 are bundled with a medical plan, employers may unlock additional value for employees. Often offered on a voluntary basis, some supplemental health benefits pay out a lump sum that the employee can use for out-of-pocket health care costs, rent, groceries and more.
Options include coverage for:
- Accident Protection - unexpected injuries
- Critical Illness4 - conditions such as heart attack, stroke and cancer
- Hospital Indemnity - hospital stays
With Benefit Assist™, UnitedHealthcare can proactively look for eligible medical claims that may qualify for a payment from an employee’s supplemental plan — and either autopay the claim or reach out to the employee to help them submit a claim. In fact, clients with integrated UnitedHealthcare medical and supplemental health benefits have seen 83% of supplemental health claims either auto-paid or initiated by UnitedHealthcare Benefit Assistants.5
“What makes Benefit Assist unique is how quickly it can get cash in the hands of members at their time of need,” explains Paul Hummel, vice president of voluntary benefits growth for UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual. “It’s a concept that has really gained traction in the market.”
This data-driven approach takes the administrative burden off employees during a stressful time for them and their families and provides timely financial support when they may need it most. As UnitedHealthcare continues to expand its integration capabilities, it will be introducing Benefit Assist for Maternity Leave to cover eligible Short-term Disability maternity leave claims under fully insured health plans.
The impact of dental and vision on whole-person health
There is a well-established connection between one’s dental, vision and medical health. For instance, a routine eye exam has the potential to detect more than 20 health problems, including certain cancers, strokes and even Lyme disease.6 Poor oral health has been linked to conditions such as respiratory disease, diabetes, cancer and endocarditis — which, when left untreated, cost employers nearly $46B in lost productivity.7
With medical and specialty benefits bundled under one carrier, providers and employees may access a more complete view of their overall health and close potential gaps in care. When not bundled, it’s more difficult to see the bigger picture.
Disability insurance fuels better outcomes through advocacy support
Disability insurance3 may also offer partial income replacement for employees unable to work due to illness or injury. When disability coverage is bundled with a UnitedHealthcare medical plan, our integration capabilities have the potential to simplify the claim process, lead to quicker claim resolution and return-to-work, and improve health outcomes for employees.
This includes engagement with clinical care teams, which may help members better manage their condition, and data sharing across medical and occupational health teams to help speed up claims processing.
Advocates provide personalized 1-on-1 assistance and support for the employee by identifying opportunities to connect them to resources—such as clinical programs to help them better manage their condition, virtual physical therapy options to address an injury or behavioral health support to manage the emotional aspect of being unable to work — demonstrating the power of an integrated benefits strategy.
“Behind every disability claim is a medical condition, driving health care spend and workplace absences, and the disability benefit experience is a critical opportunity to engage with employees on their health care journey,” says Paul Unni, national director of financial protection market solutions for UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual. “Integrating disability, leave of absence and medical data helps us meet our members where they are — at the right time and with the right resources.”
Employers benefit from bundled pricing and impact reporting capabilities
Employers looking to leverage the advantages of bundled insurance may want to look at a carrier like UnitedHealthcare, which provides a single source for quality health care benefits. UnitedHealthcare has the capability to combine more affordable medical plans with comprehensive specialty benefits — including dental, vision and supplemental health. When employers bundle benefits, they can take advantage of pricing programs that offer premium discounts or administrative credits, which may add up to significant savings.
When considering UnitedHealthcare, a pre-sale review may help an employer understand the impact bundling specialty and medical coverage can have on their bottom line. These reviews are personalized, using data from an employer’s current medical plan performance to project engagement and financial outcomes, and help the employer understand how best to customize benefit offerings to support their employees’ health and financial needs.
Employers with integrated benefits subsequently gain access to robust reporting that looks at their employee populations’ health across medical and specialty, gaining a deeper understanding of their realized plan performance and the ability to better identify ongoing health insights and potential opportunities.
From higher member satisfaction to lower cost of care, employers that integrate specialty and medical benefits may be able to better address their employees’ whole-person health needs, leading to potentially better overall health.
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