UnitedHealthcare will launch its national gold-card program on Oct. 1.
The program will reward contracted provider groups that "consistently adhere to evidence-based care guidelines," according to an Aug. 1 policy update from UnitedHealthcare. The program will apply to all UnitedHealthcare commercial, individual exchange, Medicare Advantage and community plans.
The payer said that details on how to determine whether a provider group has qualified for the program will be published Sept. 1. Additional details will be available on UHCprovider.com.
UnitedHealthcare first floated plans for a national gold-card in March 2023 when it also said it would cut 20% of its prior authorization requirements. The cuts took effect in two phases, the first in September 2023 and the second in November 2023.