UnitedHealthcare Launches Health Plan to Improve Customer Support

UnitedHealthcare has launched a new employer-sponsored health plan for Arizona residents that seeks to prioritize customer support experiences and lower member premiums.

The Doctors Plan of Arizona is the result of a partnership between the payer and the accountable care organization (ACO) Banner Health Network. The plan will serve Maricopa and Pinal County residents who receive employer-sponsored health coverage.

Banner Health Network frequently partners with health plans and providers to increase access to affordable care, the press release noted. The ACO’s network includes primary and specialty care physicians.

Through the Doctors Plan of Arizona, members will gain access to Banner Health’s network of more than 5,000 physicians and 15 medical centers.

Additionally, the plan will offer members a chance to potentially save up to 15 percent on premiums compared to other traditional health plans. The plan will also offer zero-dollar copays for primary care and urgent care visits, around-the-clock access to telehealth visits, and care coordination from the member’s primary care provider.

UnitedHealthcare will work to improve the customer experience with a personalized concierge approach. The payer’s Doctors Plan of Arizona will include a customer service team that has access to patient data from the provider and the health plan, allowing for more streamlined coordination, the press release stated.

The payer aims to simplify customer support experiences by providing members with one team member that will serve as the sole contact until the problem is solved or the question is answered, eliminating the need to transfer calls or call back.

“In designing the Doctors Plan of Arizona, we wanted to not only offer significant cost-savings but also a more personalized, simplified, and coordinated care experience that can help people improve their health and well-being,” Heather Kane, chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare in Arizona, stated in the press release.

Members will also be able to access resources available to all UnitedHealthcare members, including digital resources on the payer’s website, the UnitedHealthcare app, and 24/7 virtual visits with a physician.

The plan is available now to residents of Maricopa and Pinal counties in Arizona.

The Doctors Plan of Arizona is the latest health plan partnership from UnitedHealthcare. In 2019, the payer introduced the Colorado Doctors Plan through a collaboration with Centura Health and the California Doctors Plan in 2020 with Canopy Health.

The Canopy Health partnership benefitted residents in nine California counties in the San Francisco bay area by offering them access to 5,000 physicians and 19 hospitals.

Earlier this year, UnitedHealthcare took steps to streamline the customer experience and lower healthcare costs with a new integrated care benefit program. The program bundled medical and specialty benefits, making it easier for members to access care. Integrated benefits also led to a 4 percent reduction in premiums for UnitedHealthcare members.

In addition to its concierge-style support and 24/7 telehealth service, the payer offers a virtual-first health plan, in which members have access to virtual primary care, urgent care, and behavioral healthcare services with no additional cost-sharing.

The plan aims to integrate in-person services and virtual services, as the primary care providers can deliver either type of care.