- 90% of eligible consumers to have access to pharmacy benefits
with $0 tier 1 retail copays; nearly 80% to have access to a plan
with no Rx deductible
- 98% of members will have stable or improved benefits in 2022
and most will see stable or reduced Medicare Advantage premiumsi,
including nearly 3 million members with $0 premiums
- Expanding access to the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage
provider network to connect more people to quality, supported care
when and where they need it
- Increasing access to $0 Rx retail copays and healthy food
benefit for D-SNP members
UnitedHealthcare® today introduced its 2022 Medicare Advantage
and prescription drug plans, offering expanded access to plans with
differentiated value, simple and affordable benefit design and an
unparalleled member experience – all defined by what consumers say
matters to them most.
“Medicare Advantage plans continue to evolve in new and exciting
ways. But what we consistently hear from our members and Medicare
consumers overall, is that they crave stability of benefits and a
hassle-free experience that gets them the care and coverage they
need at a price they can afford,” said Tim Noel, CEO of
UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. “We challenge ourselves
every year to strike that balance of meaningful innovation in our
offerings with plan predictability, broad value and the distinctive
experience our members have come to expect from UnitedHealthcare.
And I believe we hit the mark on that again this year.”
Currently, more than 7.3 million peopleii are enrolled in
UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans. In 2022, the company
will expand its service area to reach 94% of Medicare consumers
nationwide and maintain the industry’s largest Medicare Advantage
footprint – including 3.1 million more people in 276 additional
counties with access to a standard plan.
With deliberate emphasis on lowering prescription drug costs,
improving core and ancillary benefits, and driving an exceptional
member experience, highlights of UnitedHealthcare’s 2022 Medicare
Advantage plans include:
Investments in Rx Coverage
“Access to affordable prescription drugs continues to rank high
on the list of central expectations of our members,” said Noel.
“From everyday medications to lifesaving drugs like insulin, our
2022 plans are designed to cover what people tell us they
need.”
Most standard plans include prescription drug coverage and
access to more than 67,000 network pharmacies, with offerings that
deliver cost savings, price predictability and transparency,
including:
- $0 Copays and Deductibles: More
than 70% of current members and 90% of eligible consumers will have
access to $0 tier 1 copays at a retail pharmacy – up from 30% and
59%, respectively, in 2021. Additionally, nearly 60% of members and
nearly 80% of eligible consumers will have access to $0 Rx
deductibles, up from 40% and 57%, respectively, in 2021.
- Mail-Order Pharmacy: As access to
medication at home continues to prove critical during the COVID-19
pandemic, most plans offer $0 copays for tier 1 and tier 2 drugs
ordered through the OptumRx home delivery pharmacy. i
- Formulary Investments: In addition
to lower cost-sharing, more than 20 generic drugs are moving to a
lower tier, giving members greater access to a wider variety of
drugs for a $0 copay.
- Part D Coverage Gap: All plans
will provide tier 1 gap coverage, eliminating increased costs
during the coverage gap and helping to ensure cost is not a barrier
for members to stay adherent with their medications.
- Part D Senior Savings Model: More
than 5.5 million members will have access to Medicare Advantage and
Part D plans that limit monthly out-of-pocket costs to $35 or less
for all covered insulin, driving significant savings and more
predictable monthly expenses. This year, eligible UnitedHealthcare
members have saved an average of nearly $450 through the
program.
- $0 Drug Copays on Dual Special Needs
Plans (D-SNP): UnitedHealthcare will expand access to $0
copays on covered drugs to 93% of our members enrolled in D-SNP
plans, up from 73% this plan year.
- Rx Online Marketplace: This tool
within the digital member experience enables members to compare
drug prices, manage refills and transfers for pickup or delivery at
a convenient retail pharmacy or through OptumRx home delivery. With
more than 2.6 million visits since its launch in late 2020, members
who used the Rx Online Marketplace to price-shop and change to an
alternative drug saw annual savings on their medications of $467,
on average.
Meaningful Value and Stable Plan Design
“Consumers want coverage that is simple to use and understand,
while offering more for their Medicare dollar,” said Noel. “So, we
are bringing more plans to more people that offer low and $0
premiums; $0 copays; and enhanced benefits that drive value in ways
that matter to people.”
Plan features that will help make predictable, affordable
coverage a reality for more Medicare Advantage consumers in 2022
include:
- Premiums: Most members will see
stable or reduced Medicare Advantage premiums, including nearly 3
million members with a $0 premium. i
- $0 Copays: People will have broad
access to $0 copays on primary care, labs, virtual visits,
diagnostic colonoscopies and mammograms, and cardiac rehab. Many
members will also see lower copays on specialist visits and
physical, occupational and speech therapies – and $0 copays when
the visit is virtual.
- Medicare National Network: The
largest Medicare Advantage networkiii will be available across even
more plans in 2022, reaching nearly 90% of people in
UnitedHealthcare’s coverage area and more than 2.7 million current
enrollees. Members pay network costs when they see any of the more
than 1 million network care providers, whether in their
neighborhood or away from home.
- Dental: The company offers most
members access to the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage dental
network, with more than 98,000 contracted dental providers.iii
Additionally, nearly 90% of people will have access to a
comprehensive dental benefit, with many plans covering crowns,
bridges, deep cleanings, extractions and root canals, with some
also covering dentures.i
- Vision and Hearing: All plans will
maintain a $0 routine annual eye exam, and most will have an
eyewear allowance. Standard lenses are covered at no cost and
nearly half of plans are moving to an annual benefit (vs. every two
years), up from 4% in 2021. Additionally, the majority of plans
will offer a $0 hearing exam and almost all members will have a
hearing aid benefit, typically annual, and access to
custom-programmed hearing aids through UnitedHealthcare Hearing,
including retail and home-delivery options.
- Combined Over-the-Counter (OTC) and
Healthy Food Credit: Nearly all D-SNP members will have a
new combined monthly OTC and healthy food benefit, increasing the
amount Dual members can use for covered groceries by more than
three times, to an average of $1,400 per year. D-SNP members can
use the monthly credit at their discretion across covered OTC
products or healthy foods in the same shopping trip or online
delivery order.
Distinctive and Enhanced Offerings
“We feel best about the plans we put into the marketplace when
we know they are rooted in differentiated offerings supported by an
exceptional member experience,” said Noel. “This year, we want our
members to know that every expanded benefit, every enhanced program
and every investment in a new offering is because we have been
listening intently and shaping our plans to deliver on what we hear
from consumers.”
Added benefits and features that drive distinction for
UnitedHealthcare members in 2022 include:
- UCard: The company is launching a
new integrated member ID card in select markets that will simplify
the member experience by consolidating separate benefits and
program cards onto a single card. The UnitedHealthcare UCardTM will
continue to serve as an individual’s health plan ID card but will
also replace OTC and Healthy Food benefit cards, along with any
reward cards a member may earn throughout the year. The UCard can
be used to redeem eligible benefits or reward credits at more than
30,000 retail locations in addition to online.
- HouseCalls: Most plans will
include HouseCalls, which offers members a yearly visit with a
licensed clinician from the comfort of home, helping to coordinate
needed care – including with an individual’s primary care provider.
In 2022, the program will expand home-based testing options for
chronic conditions like diabetes and hepatitis C. Additionally,
social determinants of health (SDOH) assessments will continue to
be widely integrated into HouseCalls visits, ultimately referring
members to the appropriate social support services based on their
identified needs.
- Renew Active® Fitness Program: The gold standard in Medicare
fitness programs for body and mind will be available in 49 states
and Washington, D.C. Renew Active provides a free membership at a
gym or fitness location from our nationwide network, the largest of
all Medicare fitness programs, along with thousands of on-demand
videos and live streaming fitness classes, giving members the
flexibility to work out when, where and how they choose. The
program also offers access to local health and wellness classes and
events, and an online brain health program from AARP® Staying
Sharp®.
- Service Excellence: The
Advocate4Me® customer service model offers personalized support
focused on meeting a member’s needs in a single call, not how
quickly a member gets on and off the phone. In 2022, all members
will be supported by customer service teams trained on plans
specific to their geography, and SDOH assessments will be broadly
conducted, with a commitment to “closing the loop” on submitted
referrals, ensuring needs are met.
- Navigate4Me: For members with
complex health care needs, such as those facing an acute health
event or those eligible in Dual Special Needs Plans, Navigate4MeTM
offers one-on-one support. A single point of contact helps to
coordinate care, address claims issues, provide social support and
assist with other needs. Over 1 million people have had a dedicated
UnitedHealthcare navigator so far this year, and the same quality
supported care will be available again in 2022.
More Plan Options to Meet Diverse Needs
The only company to offer Medicare plans with the AARP name,
UnitedHealthcare serves nearly 1 in 5 people in the Medicare
program through its portfolio of plansiv. UnitedHealthcare is the
nation’s largest Medicare Supplement provider, serving
approximately 4.4 million people through its Medicare Supplement
plans.
“Our Medicare Supplement plans are some of the highest-rated by
consumers, and we take pride in our competitive and stable rates,”
said Noel. “In 2022, we will introduce new lower premium Medicare
Supplement plans to meet the growing and varied needs of
consumers.”
In 2022, people with eligible UnitedHealthcare Medicare
Supplement plans across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., will
have access to a variety of value-added programs and features
offered at no additional cost. Most plans include a nationwide
dental discount program; hearing and vision discount programs; 24/7
nurse line; Renew Active by UnitedHealthcare, which offers access
to an extensive network of participating gyms and fitness
locationsv as well as access to AARP® Staying Sharp® online brain
health program; and an AARP Smart DriverTM course – an online or
in-person driving refresher course that may allow for reduced
insurance premiums.
UnitedHealthcare also serves approximately 3.6 million people
through its stand-alone and group Part D prescription drug plans.
The AARP® MedicareRx Walgreens plan from UnitedHealthcare offers $0
tier 1 copays at more than 9,000 Walgreens and Duane Reade
locations, and a 20% premium reduction in 2022.
People can make changes to their Medicare coverage during
Medicare Annual Enrollment, which runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.
For more information on UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare plans, visit
UHCMedicareHealthPlans.com.
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.
Plans are insured or covered by a Medicare Advantage
organization with a Medicare contract and/or a Medicare-approved
Part D sponsor. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s
contract renewal with Medicare. For Dual Special Needs Plans: A
Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract and a
contract with the State Medicaid Program.
Benefits, features and/or devices vary by plan/area. Limitations
and exclusions apply.
$0 copay may be restricted to particular tiers, preferred
medications, or home delivery prescriptions during the initial
coverage phase and may not apply during the coverage gap or
catastrophic stage. OptumRx is an affiliate of UnitedHealthcare
Insurance Company. You are not required to use OptumRx home
delivery for a 90-100-day supply of your maintenance
medication.
You will pay a maximum of $35 for a 1-month supply of Part D
select insulin drugs during the deductible, Initial Coverage and
Coverage Gap or “Donut Hole” stages of your benefit. You will pay
5% of the cost of your insulin in the Catastrophic Coverage stage.
This cost-sharing only applies to members who do not qualify for a
program that helps pay for your drugs (“Extra Help”).
Virtual visits may require video-enabled smartphone or other
device. Not for use in emergencies.
Vision benefits vary by plan and are not available with all
plans. Additional charges may apply for out-of-network items and
services. Annual routine eye exam and $100-400 allowance for
contacts or designer frames, with standard (single, bi-focal,
tri-focal or standard progressive) lenses covered in full either
annually or every two years.
Other hearing exam providers are available in the
UnitedHealthcare network. The plan only covers hearing aids from a
UnitedHealthcare Hearing network provider.
OTC and Healthy Food benefits have expiration timeframes. Call
the plan or refer to your Evidence of Coverage (EOC) for more
information.
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company pays royalty fees to AARP for
the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the
general purposes of AARP. AARP and its affiliates are not insurers.
You do not need to be an AARP member to enroll in a Medicare
Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan. AARP encourages you to
consider your needs when selecting products and does not make
specific product recommendations for individuals.
UnitedHealthcare contracts directly with Walgreens in connection
with the AARP® Medicare Rx Walgreens plan; AARP and its affiliates
are not parties to that contractual relationship.
Other Pharmacies are available in our network.
AARP MedicareRx Walgreens (PDP)’s pharmacy network offers
limited access to pharmacies with preferred cost sharing in urban
ND; suburban HI, ND, PA and rural AK, AR, HI, IA, ID, KS, MN, MS,
MT, NE, OK, OR, PA, SD, and WY. There are an extremely limited
number of preferred cost share pharmacies in suburban MT and rural
ND. The lower costs advertised in our plan materials for these
pharmacies may not be available at the pharmacy you use. For
up-to-date information about our network pharmacies, including
whether there are any lower-cost preferred pharmacies in your area,
please call us or consult the online pharmacy directory using the
contact information that appears on the booklet cover.
Participation in the Renew Active® program is voluntary. Consult
your doctor prior to beginning an exercise program or making
changes to your lifestyle or health care routine. Renew Active
includes standard fitness membership. Fitness membership equipment,
classes, personalized fitness plans, caregiver access and events
may vary by location. Certain services, discounts, classes, events,
and online fitness offerings are provided by affiliates of
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or other third parties not
affiliated with UnitedHealthcare. Participation in these
third-party services are subject to your acceptance of their
respective terms and policies. AARP Staying Sharp is the registered
trademark of AARP. The largest gym network of all Medicare fitness
programs is based upon comparison of competitors’ website data as
of March, 2021. UnitedHealthcare is not responsible for the
services or information provided by third parties. The information
provided through these services is for informational purposes only
and is not a substitute for the advice of a doctor. The Renew
Active program varies by plan/area. Access to gym and fitness
location network may vary by location and plan.
HouseCalls may not be available in all areas.
iRefers to UnitedHealthcare’s standard Medicare Advantage plans
(i.e., non-special needs plans).
iiCMS enrollment data, August 2021. Enrollment across all
plans.
iiiNetwork size varies by plan and by market and exclusions may
apply.
ivCMS enrollment data, August 2021.
vThese are additional insured member services apart from the
Medicare Supplement Plan benefits, are not insurance programs, are
subject to geographical availability and may be discontinued at any
time. Availability of fitness program may vary by area. Fitness
program network only includes participating facilities and
locations. None of these services should be used for emergency or
urgent care needs. In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest
emergency room. Note that certain services are provided by
Affiliates of UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or other third
parties not affiliated with UnitedHealthcare.
Y0066_210927_021749_M
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Jessica Kostner UnitedHealthcare jessica_kostner@uhc.com
952-931-4951
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