UnitedHealthcare EDGE Connects Consumers With Specialty Physicians Who Deliver High-Quality, Efficient Care
MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 17, 2008) – UnitedHealthcare is introducing a new, affordable health plan called EDGESM that offers members the opportunity to realize greater cost savings when they seek care from specialty physicians who have been designated for providing high-quality, efficient care.
By accessing care from specialty physicians who meet UnitedHealth Premium® designation program criteria for quality and cost-efficiency, EDGE plan participants can reduce their out-of-pocket health care expenses, including lower co-payments for office visits and higher co-insurance coverage. For example, if a member seeks care from a specialty physician who has been designated for quality and cost-efficiency, he or she would pay a $30 office visit co-pay instead of $60.
Members enrolled in EDGE have access to UnitedHealthcare’s nationwide network of more than 550,000 physicians and 4,800 hospitals.
EDGE is available now to small businesses with two to 99 employees in select markets. Numerous health and wellness programs and services are available to EDGE participants that help them take a more active role in understanding and managing their benefits and health care needs. Additional benefits available through the EDGE plans include pharmacy benefit coverage through a four-tier pharmacy plan; online and telephonic health care coaching programs; and more.
“UnitedHealthcare’s EDGE offers a more affordable alternative to consumers who receive care from specialists recognized for high-quality, cost-efficient care,” said Ken Burdick, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company. “We believe that delivery of high-quality, efficient care based on nationally recognized, evidence-based standards is critical in achieving better health outcomes and reducing health care costs.”
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, small businesses represent about 98 percent of all employer firms and have approximately 42 million employees nationwide.
UnitedHealthcare’s Premium designation program evaluates physicians in 21 specialties for quality and cost efficiency. Specialists who have met national evidence-based guidelines and consensus-based standards of care in the areas of quality and efficiency are identified as two-star Premium-designated physicians in online provider directories. More information on UnitedHealthcare’s Premium designation program is available at www.myuhc.com or www.uhc.com.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare (www.uhc.com) provides a full spectrum of consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services. The company organizes access to quality, affordable health care services on behalf of more than 26 million individual consumers, contracting directly with more than 550,000 physicians and care professionals and 4,800 hospitals nationwide 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.
