UnitedHealth Group is making healthcare work better across the system
Making changes that make care easier to navigate
For too many people, getting care still depends on navigating barriers: finding a provider, waiting for approvals, traveling long distances, managing pregnancy without enough support, getting preventive care when mobility or transportation is difficult, or staying on medications when pharmacy processes are complicated. These barriers can delay care, add stress for patients and providers and make health outcomes worse. We are addressing the parts of the system we can change to make care easier to reach, easier to continue and easier for providers to deliver.
Bringing care to more people
50%
faster payments for approximately 1,500 rural hospitals.
Supporting rural hospitals and care providers
UnitedHealthcare is helping improve financial stability and reduce administrative burden by accelerating payments to rural hospitals, including all Critical Access Hospitals, and exempting rural providers from most medical prior authorization requirements across all lines of business.
575,000
visits completed in low-income communities in 2024.
Bringing preventive care into the home
HouseCalls offers eligible UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members an annual in-home or virtual preventive care visit that supports better care, stronger connections and improved outcomes.
4.7M
people served in value-based care models.
Advancing value-based care
UnitedHealth Group has more than doubled participation in these models over the past three years, helping make high-quality care more accessible, coordinated and focused on better outcomes.
How we’re expanding access to care
Simplifying access to medications
Optum Rx has eliminated 33% of drug reauthorizations for nearly 270 chronic-condition medications and is moving toward passing through 100% of manufacturer drug rebate discounts to clients by Jan. 1, 2028
Reducing approval requirements for children’s care
By the end of 2026, UnitedHealthcare plans to remove nearly two-thirds of prior authorization requirements for members under age 18.
Making approvals faster and more consistent
More than half of UnitedHealthcare’s prior authorization volume will be included in standardized electronic submission requirements, with that figure expected to exceed 70% by the end of 2026.