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Building a modern, high-performing health system

UnitedHealth Group is helping to create a consumer-first health system, connecting people to high-quality, affordable care to deliver the best possible outcomes. We do this by advancing health equity; accelerating the transition to value-based care; lowering the cost of prescription drugs; enhancing consumer-oriented benefits; personalizing care coordination; expanding in-home care; and building healthier communities.


Advancing health equity

We are focused on connecting the pieces of a fragmented system to help ensure every person has the opportunity to live their healthiest life. 

male nurse with mom and child

In 2022, we aligned around six strategic health equity focus areas:

  • Care experience and workforce
  • Socioeconomic challenges
  • Care access and affordability
  • Chronic condition management
  • Behavioral and mental health
  • Mortality and life expectancy 

Our $100 million commitment 

Through a $100 million investment over 10 years, we have created the Diversity in Health Care Scholarship program to help build a pipeline of diverse health care talent and address a projected health workforce shortage.

Learn more about the Diversity in Health Care Scholarship program.


Accelerating the transition to value-based care

We are helping transition to a system in which health care providers are paid to deliver high-quality, coordinated care to help identify and close gaps in care and deliver preventive services.

We are reaching people through more than 2,200 sites of care and serve more than 3 million people in fully accountable value-based care models — the most comprehensive and effective type of value-based arrangement.

Learn more about how Optum Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston has been integrating value-based care for the last 15 years. 

 

Expanding in-home care

We help to deliver more equitable and accessible health care for patients with complex medical, behavioral and social needs.

For example, through programs such as HouseCalls, we are able to connect people to the right services to get the care they need sooner. 

Meeting older adults at home

Watch Jack's full story
The UnitedHealthcare HouseCalls program is designed to meet older adults in their homes to assess and address their medical, social and behavioral needs in an hour-long annual wellness visit with a nurse practitioner. During one routine HouseCalls visit, nurse practitioner Heather found her patient Jack’s blood pressure was dangerously high and took swift action to get him to an emergency department, resulting in Jack having a stent placed in his heart to help prevent a massive heart attack.


Lowering the cost of prescription drugs

We are helping to improve affordability on critical, lifesaving drugs for those who rely on them the most.

For instance, beginning in 2023, UnitedHealthcare members in fully insured commercial plans — including UnitedHealth Group employees — will pay $0 for five lifesaving medications, reducing the burden of medical costs and leaving them better equipped to take medications as prescribed.


$0 copay drugs

Insulin: diabetes management


Epinephrine: severe allergic reactions


Glucagon: hypoglycemia


Naloxone: opioid overdoses


Albuterol: acute asthma attacks

  • $22

    average monthly cost of insulin for 1.7 million customers.
  • 8M+

    UnitedHealthcare members have access to $0 copays for five lifesaving drugs throughout 2023.


Enhancing consumer-oriented benefits

New, innovative commercial plans are eliminating deductibles and coinsurance, bringing transparency and simplicity to health benefits, reducing out-of-pocket costs and improving satisfaction.
 

We aim to provide consumers with simple, transparent benefits and the ability to easily access high-quality, cost-efficient sites of care.

Learn more about our health benefits.


Personalized care coordination

We use personalized information to help patients and physicians navigate the health system, lower the cost of care and deliver higher satisfaction. Our goal is to create a seamless system for those who experience , provide and pay for care.

Navigating a diagnostic odyssey

Watch the Merchant family's story
For her first 18 months of life, Adelyn Merchant was like any other happy, healthy baby. Then it became clear something was wrong. Her parents – Spencer and Erin – noticed she was falling more and was no longer able to say the words she once knew. Soon, she was unable to eat. Eventually, they turned to UnitedHealthcare’s Special Needs Initiative, which connected the family to specialists who helped diagnose Adelyn with NMDA anti-receptor encephalitis, a rare disease affecting a very small number of kids.


 

Next up


Building healthier communities

Improving health quality and outcomes in the communities where we live and work.

Read more

*As of Dec. 31, 2022

 

 

Download our full report for more on our actions, achievements and progress.