Benefit Assist empowers members during major life events

When there’s a major health event, things can feel out of control. A person can often feel stretched thin and the last thing they want to deal with is paperwork with complicated jargon.

Many disability and supplemental health benefits like critical illness and hospital indemnity benefits go unclaimed or delayed because people don’t know they qualify for them, don’t have time to handle paperwork, or are overwhelmed while dealing with a health issue or life event such as labor and delivery. However, Benefit Assist® from UnitedHealthcare can be one way to help navigate this landscape.

This AI-enabled program acts like a concierge for one’s supplemental benefits. It is designed to help automatically identify when members may qualify for a disability or supplemental health benefit payment and makes it easier for members to receive them.

In fact, new data on Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Indemnity experience shows Benefit Assist delivers nearly eight times more supplemental health payments.¹

Benefit Assist is designed to help reduce barriers by identifying when someone may qualify for a payment and helping kickstart the process, often before they even ask. In 2025, 94% of all Benefit Assist payments were processed automatically,²  helping members focus on the crucial issues in their lives that matter most.

For example, soon-to-be parents enrolled in UHC medical alongside hospital indemnity insurance and disability insurance, may receive the following without having to submit any paperwork:

• Short‑term disability maternity leave payments up to 30 days before the expected delivery date
• Hospital indemnity benefits for admission and confinement following a hospital stay for childbirth

Benefit Assist helps make the experience simpler by removing many of the steps that are usually required. This can be especially important for new parents who are dealing with physical recovery, sleep deprivation, newborn care and postpartum mental health challenges, not to mention caregiving responsibilities or caring for other children. These are all challenges that can increase the likelihood that paperwork is delayed or missed.

What’s more, if additional information is needed, members may be contacted directly so they’re not left trying to navigate the process on their own.

“During a major life event, no one should have to wonder whether they’re eligible for a benefit or spend time digging through paperwork,” said Stephen Wilson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Specialty. “Benefit Assist is designed to help make things easier for our members when they need it most.”

Learn more about how Benefit Assist is working to create a better health care system for employers and consumers.