CHICAGO (Aug. 23, 2010) - UnitedHealthcare has begun offering a new health plan option called "UnitedHealthcare Core" in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

Core is an insurance product that enables health plan participants to reduce their out-of-pocket health care costs when they seek care within a designated provider network that includes 97 hospitals and more than 16,500 doctors in the Chicagoland area.

However, unlike a traditional HMO, Core plan participants may access care from doctors and hospitals outside the designated network, including UnitedHealthcare's national network of providers that number more than 600,000 physicians and care professionals, 5,000 hospitals and 60,000 pharmacies. Plus, Core may be paired with a health savings account (HSA), which enables people to take advantage of pre-tax savings and save for future health care expenses.  Core also covers preventive care services and visits to specialists without the need for written referrals. 

In addition, plan participants have access to expanded programs and services including Care24®, UnitedHealthcare's 24-hour nurse line, and the Healthy Pregnancy Program, a resource for expectant mothers, as well as online tools that help people make more informed health care decisions, take advantage of wellness programs, and identify UnitedHealth Premium® designated physicians and specialty care centers that consistently meet or exceed evidence-based quality and cost-efficient criteria.

Core is available to employers of all sizes.  To date, more than 35,000 individuals are already enrolled in the plan.

"UnitedHealthcare Core offers the value employers are looking for when choosing their health coverage because it combines the affordability of an HMO with added flexibility," said Tom Wiffler, president and CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Illinois. "Plan participants enjoy comprehensive health benefit coverage and cost savings by using local, designated doctors and hospitals.  Also, Core offers plan participants the opportunity to enroll in an HSA that can help them plan, save and pay for their health care needs."

To learn more about UnitedHealthcare Core, visit www.uhc.com.  

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare (www.unitedhealthcare.com) provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefits plans and services to individuals, public sector employers and businesses of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 100 companies.  The company organizes access to quality, affordable health care services on behalf of approximately 25 million individual consumers, contracting directly with more than 600,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals to offer them broad, convenient access to services nationwide.  UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.