UnitedHealth Premium® program

Most of us are pretty good at spotting quality in the things we buy: Cars need good gas mileage. Houses need roofs that don’t leak. Clothing needs to be well-made.

But when it comes to health care, it may be less clear what quality means or how to go about evaluating it. To help our members make more informed choices about their health care, the UnitedHealth Premium program recognizes doctors who meet quality and cost efficiency guidelines. You can find a doctor’s Premium designation on myuhc.com® or click here for more detailed information about the Premium program.

Variations in care are a significant part of the problem in our current health care system. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine study found that only 55% of U.S. patients receive the recommended care.

We believe that by supporting and promoting doctors who meet national standardized measures for quality and local geographic area benchmarks for cost efficiency, as well as engaging consumers in the health care decision-making process, we can help to achieve better health outcomes while improving the experience and reducing costs.

UnitedHealth Premium doctors:

• Follow evidence-based guidelines for care
• Are more likely to be aware of the latest research and clinical trials
• May have lower surgery repeat rates

Quality guidelines are based on standards from organizations such as:

• American College of Cardiology
• Ambulatory Care Quality Alliance
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)