UnitedHealthcare Introduces the Use of Predictive Analytics to Expand its Capabilities to Address Social Determinants of Heal...
July 08 2021 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
New capability helps identify people in
employer-sponsored benefit plans who are most likely in need of
support, proactively connecting them to low- or no-cost community
resources
Program builds on existing initiatives for
UnitedHealthcare Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, along with
previous work with the American Medical Association to more
precisely diagnose social determinants of health
UnitedHealthcare has introduced the use of predictive analytics
to help improve well-being, lower costs and drive engagement in
clinical-intervention programs by addressing social determinants of
health for people in some employer-sponsored benefit plans.1
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Social determinants of health, such as
access to nutritious food and proper housing, may affect a person’s
health, functioning and quality of life, with these barriers taking
on particular importance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Source:
UnitedHealthcare
Building on similar initiatives for UnitedHealthcare Medicare
and Medicaid beneficiaries, the new capability adds the use of
predictive analytics to help efficiently identify people in need of
support related to social determinants of health. The resource is
currently available to employers that select UnitedHealthcare’s
Advocate4Me Elite or Advocate4Me Premier product offerings, with
plans to introduce a customized version for employers with fully
insured health benefits later this year.
The new advocacy capability uses de-identified claims data from
UnitedHealthcare members to proactively identify who is most likely
to need support with social determinants of health, such as access
to nutritious food or affordable housing. UnitedHealthcare call
center advocates then use real-time interactions coupled with a
curated database of community resources to help individuals dealing
with challenging life events or circumstances.
UnitedHealthcare, and its parent company, UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE: UNH), has long invested in helping address social
determinants of health, including providing more than 1 million
referrals to important social services and contributing over $500
million to support affordable housing for people across the
country. In addition, UnitedHealthcare previously collaborated with
the American Medical Association to develop ICD-10 codes to more
precisely diagnose social determinants of health.
“UnitedHealthcare is in a unique position to help improve
people’s health and well-being by addressing social determinants of
health,” said Rebecca Madsen, chief consumer officer,
UnitedHealthcare. “With COVID-19 highlighting the need to help
close the gap between health care and access to services that
contribute to well-being, UnitedHealthcare has incorporated social
determinants of health into our advocacy service model, providing
people with important support as they navigate the health
system.”
Research suggests that various social barriers impact up to 80%
of a person’s health.2
Developed in collaboration with Optum, the UnitedHealthcare
capability can help employers predict the likelihood that their
employees may have a need for a social intervention, assessing more
than 300 markets across the country and analyzing over 100 metrics.
By combining this information with the employer’s aggregate claims
data, employers can design and implement health care strategies
that are more responsive to challenges their employees may face and
proactively identify the need for support.
The targeted support model is intended to engage and assist
people by helping reduce or eliminate barriers to well-being,
diminish out-of-pocket consumer costs and avoid potential expenses
for employers. UnitedHealthcare call center staff are trained to
listen for key words, such as “I’m hungry,” “I’m having trouble
making ends meet,” or “I’m stressed,” and then proactively connect
the individual to low- or no-cost community resources. Through the
capability, UnitedHealthcare helps people:
- Find access to nutritious meals, such as through local food
banks.
- Obtain internet or smartphone access, such as through financial
subsidies offered by telecommunications companies.
- Find local support groups, including for continuing education
and mentoring.
- Obtain assistance for rent/mortgage, child care or utility
bills.
The recommended resources have been evaluated and vetted as
providing quality, cost-effective services. Since introducing the
capability, eligible individuals have accepted over 50% of the
offers for support.3
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier
lives and making the health system work better for everyone by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full
spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and
Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with
more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500
hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also
provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned
and operated health care facilities in South America.
UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more
information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC
on Twitter.
1 UnitedHealthcare employer study (2019) of 112 clients with 4.3
million members. Medical costs adjusted for age, gender, risk,
geography, cost outliers and other design features for
comparability. Value impact based on comparing clients by the
adoption platform features vs. not (e.g., highly designated service
vs. base service model). Actual client results may vary based on
specific clinical programs the client has or maturity of
implementation. 2 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2019,
https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2019/02/medicaid-s-role-in-addressing-social-determinants-of-health.html
3 UnitedHealthcare internal analysis of participating employers,
2021
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210708005185/en/
Will Shanley UnitedHealthcare (714) 204-8005
will.shanley@uhc.com
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