UnitedHealthcare is expanding its Medicare Advantage footprint next year and enhancing the benefits of its UCard, an integrated insurance ID card with many uses for members.
The UCard is for Medicare Advantage and D-SNP members to use as a traditional insurance ID card to access care and fill prescriptions, along with offering a way to pay for healthy food and over-the-counter products at certain retailers, pay for utilities, and check in at the gym, if eligible.
In 2024, UnitedHealthcare is expanding its MA plans to reach 96 percent of all Medicare-eligible individuals. Specifically, the payer is expanding standard MA plans to 110 new counties, reaching 700,000 more eligible individuals. In addition, 2.7 million more people will be eligible for chronic special needs plans.
Along with the expanded MA footprint, UnitedHealth is enhancing the benefits of its UCard next year for the 6.3 million individuals that currently use the program.
Four updates for 2024:
- A mobile product scanner members can use when shopping in-store to confirm products are covered through their benefits.
- A mobile UCard with a barcode that stores can scan at checkout.
- An expanded retail network with more than 55,000 store locations, along with an expanded home delivery network.
- A video tutorial that teaches members how to use their UCard and allows them to earn rewards for viewing.