UnitedHealthcare Takes Action to Help People Affected by Iowa Tornadoes

UnitedHealthcare is taking immediate action to help people affected by the deadly tornadoes that recently struck a number of Iowa communities. Actions include support for American Red Cross relief efforts and special measures to help ensure UnitedHealthcare plan participants residing in counties that have declared a state of emergency have ongoing access to care and prescription medications – and extensions if needed for paying premiums, filing claims or appeals, and renewing or cancelling policies.

The company is taking the following steps, effective immediately:

• Early Prescription Refills: Individuals in affected communities who have been displaced or do not have access to their medications will be able to have prescriptions refilled early. Members are asked to alert the pharmacist that they were affected by the tornado in order to ensure the early prescription refill request is processed appropriately.
  
  This includes plan participants enrolled in all fully insured commercial products, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement or Medicare Part D offerings insured through UnitedHealthcare. For mail-order delivery service to affected areas or any other questions related to their prescriptions, people are encouraged to call the pharmacy number on the back of their medical or prescription ID card, or speak directly to a pharmacist about their situation in order to get an early refill, if necessary.
  
  This policy is effective April 14, 2012 and will remain active for 90 days.


• Non-cancellation of policies and premium deferral: Effective April 14, UnitedHealthcare will extend deadlines for paying premiums and filing claims or appeals by 60 days; the company will also extend the deadline for policy cancellations or renewals by 90 days. This only applies to commercial fully insured business and members in counties listed in the emergency orders in Iowa.


• Support for the American Red Cross: Through a $500,000 annual commitment, UnitedHealthcare participates in the Annual Disaster Giving Program of the American Red Cross, which is offering shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to people in the affected communities.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 37 million people and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.