How Gary advocates for members

Video transcript

[UP-TEMPO MUSIC]

[Water runs from a tap and fills up a transparent kettle.]

On-screen text: Heart of the Matter. Gary’s Story

[Gary spoons out ground coffee from a sachet and fills up a filter. He puts the filter inside the kettle and presses it down to the bottom, making the water bubble up.]

GARY: I love having a job where I can just…

[Gary sits on a chair in the middle of a living room, with couches and plants on the background.]

GARY: …work from home.

[Gary’s hand pours the coffee from the kettle into a mug. His face from the side, as he drinks from it.]

GARY: My cat…

[The coffee kettle in focus and the background is blurred. Then, the background comes into focus, with Gary sitting in an armchair and petting his cat.]

GARY: …has a specific schedule now.

[Gary puts cat food in a bowl.]

GARY: She'll get a little tuna treat…

[The cat eats from the bowl.]

GARY: …in the morning.

[Gary and the cat in the living room. He walks closer to the cat and reaches out to pet it. Then, middle close-up of Gary from the side, with a couch and plants in the background.]

On-screen text: Gary. UnitedHealthcare member advocate

GARY: I'm a member advocate for UnitedHealthcare.

[Gary from the side, he sits down at a desk and grabs a headset.]

GARY: I mostly assist folks who have…

[Gary from the back, at a desk, in front of three monitors.]

GARY: Medicare Advantage plans.

[Middle close-up of Gary from the side, with a couch and plants in the background.]

GARY: The vast majority of the calls are around their benefits.

[Middle close-up of Gary from the front.]

GARY: My job is to be…

[Gary from the side, at the desk, in front of the monitors.]

GARY: …the members superhero.

[Close-up of Gary’s face in profile, speaking into the headset.]

GARY: I can definitely help you with that.

[Middle close-up of Gary from the side, with a couch and plants in the background.]

GARY: And with my understanding of their plan…

[View of the monitors over Gary’s shoulders.]

GARY: …and all the resources that I have…

[Gary’s hand on a keyboard.]

GARY: at hand to move mountains for them…

[Middle close-up of Gary from the side, with a couch and plants in the background.]

GARY: …to make sure that they get the absolute most that they can…

[Gary at his desk, speaking into the headset.]

GARY: …within the terms and conditions of the plan. Yeah. Thank you so much.

[Gary’s face in profile, looking at his monitors and speaking into the headset.]

GARY: Oftentimes people will ask me like: “Why?”

[Middle close-up of Gary from the front.]

GARY: “Why are you doing this?” And I tell them a story…

[Gary’s hands hold a photo of a woman, wearing a fuchsia blouse.]

GARY: …about how I lost my mother in 1998…

[Gary’s hands hold a photo of a man holding fishes caught on hucks, in front of a jetty.]

GARY: …and then my father died in 2010.

[Middle close-up of Gary from the side, with a couch and plants in the background.]

GARY: So, I let the members know that on every single call, I get one more chance to talk to my dad.

[Gary’s wells up and exhales softly.]

GARY: And I get one more chance to talk to my mom.

[Gary’s hands hold the black and white photo of a woman and a man in wedding dresses.]

GARY: I just imagine…

[Close-up on the faces of the woman and man in the black and white photo.]

GARY: …what it would be like if my mother needed to…

[Middle close-up of Gary from the side.]

GARY: …figure out how she's going to pay for her prescription drugs.

[View of the monitor over Gary’s shoulders. On it, a map shows various locations. The UnitedHealthcare logo on the top, left-hand side of the monitor.]

GARY: What I think is fantastic….

[Gary from the back, at his desk, in front of the monitors, speaking into the headset.]

GARY: …about UnitedHealthcare…

[Middle close-up of Gary from the front.]

GARY: …it's really how everybody…

[Gary’s hands move on the keyboard and mouse.]

GARY: …is connected, and it's all about…

[Close-up of Gary’s face, speaking in the headset.]

GARY: …customer experience. Do you have any other questions for me at all?

[From the kitchen counter, Gary’s cat is in focus. Gary pets it.]

GARY: I get energy from just hanging out with my cat…

[Middle close-up of Gary at his desk, looking at his monitors and speaking into his headset.]

GARY: …taking one call at a time…

[Middle close-up of Gary from the front.]

GARY: …and being singularly focused on that call, and that that member who's on the phone with me is…

[Gary from the waste up. He stands in front of his desk and smiles, as he crosses his arms.]

GARY: …the most important person in the world, and I love being there for them.

[Gary in profile at his desk, speaking into the headset.]

GARY: Hello, UnitedHealthcare, this is Gary speaking. And who do I have the pleasure of speaking with today?

[The video fades out and transitions to a white background. The blue UHC logo appears in the centre and the website URL appears below it.]

On-screen text: UHC. uhc.com

[PIANO MUSIC FADES OUT]

Every day, UnitedHealthcare advocate, Gary listens to members and puts himself in their shoes.

As a member advocate for UnitedHealthcare, he’s dedicated to problem solving and removing barriers to help members improve their health.

“I try to really be present with each and every member in that way so that I'm in it with them,” he said.

For him, it’s a fulfilling way to connect with members and shift their journey from what could be a frustrating call for help to a sigh of relief, as he works to correct issues or answer questions.

Gary works primarily with members in our Medicare Advantage plans — often those aged 65 and older — which is sometimes more meaningful for him than a member may realize. Gary lost his mother in 1998 and his father in 2010.

“I let the members know that on every single call, (it feels like) I get one more chance to talk to my dad and I get one more chance to talk to my mom,” Gary said, with tears in his eyes. “I just imagine what it would be like if my mother needed to figure out how she’s going to pay for her prescription drugs.”

With that perspective in mind, Gary leads with compassion and care for members and serves them in a way that he would want his own family members to be treated.

Whether it’s answering questions about benefits, helping members understand their claims or providing health insurance education, he spends the time needed to ensure they feel supported.

“I often say to our members that, you know, we're all just walking each other home and we might as well just enjoy the stroll,” he said.

Gary is empathetic and approaches each call with curiosity on what the members need and how he can help get them there.

“What I think is fantastic about UnitedHealthcare, it’s really how everybody is connected, and it’s all about customer experience,” he said.

It’s that experience that motivates him on each call to ensure they feel like he is on their side.

“I am a lion-hearted advocate that is going to do everything I can,” he said. “That member who's on the phone with me is the most important person in the world, and I love being there for them.”

Already a member?

Sign in or register on your plan website to see personalized benefit details and resources to help you manage your plan and health.

Sign in

More articles

More articles

Shopping for a plan?

Find what you’re looking for, from individual plans to Medicare and more. Learn about your options and get online quotes.

Shop all plans