5 tips to help make the most of your health plan benefits

It’s no secret that health care can be complicated and challenging to navigate. In fact, 9 out of 10 adults say they struggle with health literacy. ¹ Learning about your health plan early means you’ll have more time to take advantage of its resources — potentially maximizing the health and financial benefits.

Wondering where to start? Here are five tips to help.

Some insurers now offer tools and more modern health plans that empower people to shop for care. For example, UnitedHealthcare’s Surest health plan provides upfront pricing and care options through an app or member website and eliminates deductibles and coinsurance.

With Surest, members can see their actual cost in the form of a single copay for different care options with lower copays displayed for providers who historically offered more effective, cost-efficient care, helping members save an average of 50% compared to traditional plans.²

Reviewing common health insurance terms may help you better understand how costs are calculated. Take, for example, things like “in-network” and “out-of-network.” In-network providers are contracted with your health insurer to provide services at a lower price. Out-of-network providers may be more expensive and lead to higher “out-of-pocket costs” — another term to understand. 

If you need a refresher on vocabulary, check out this Just Plain Clear Glossary (in English, Spanish and Portuguese) to help.

Taking care of your mental health is important to your overall well-being as your emotional frame of mind may impact your physical health. If you’re struggling, treatment may help you feel better and live a healthier life.

Insurers like UnitedHealthcare may offer behavioral health care programs for help with substance use, stress, anxiety, depression and more. Some health insurers also have specially trained advocates available to help members find the right type of behavioral health care or resources. In addition, eligible UnitedHealthcare members may have access to digital tools such as Calm Health, as part of their mental health benefits.  

Virtual visits for health care, also known as telehealth, can help you access needed care more conveniently and affordably.

Virtual care connects you with a health care provider via a smartphone, tablet or personal computer for everything from urgent care concerns to mental health and specialty care services. This may help you find the treatment you need in less time.

You may be eligible for incentive-based wellness programs designed to reward healthier choices. For instance, eligible members may have access to UnitedHealthcare Rewards, a leading consumer engagement program  That eligible members can use to earn rewards for completing tasks like taking a health survey, getting an annual checkup, walking 5,000 steps, tracking hours slept and more.

You may be able to earn rewards through your health plan for activities like your annual wellness visit, getting certain preventive screenings.

Care Cash, for example, features a preloaded debit card that can be used to help pay towards cost sharing for certain eligible network health care expenses like primary care and urgent care visits. Members receive $200 for the year for individual coverage or $500 for family coverage. By incentivizing people to access preventive care, Care Cash is designed to help drive positive health behaviors, which may improve health outcomes and lower the overall costs of care.

Once you’ve learned the ins and outs of your new health plan, continue being proactive by taking advantage of preventive care services, such as annual check-ups, health screenings and immunizations, which are generally covered by most health plans.