Why is UHC Calling Me?

Your phone is ringing. You look down at the screen and recognize the number: it’s UnitedHealthcare (UHC). You experience a sudden urge to send the call to voicemail – don’t!

Often, UHC tries to contact plan members regarding a health program or service available to them, or to offer information that may aid health management or improvement. Indeed, the service can help connect you with resources and benefits that you may not have been aware you had. Below, we list a few reasons why UHC may be calling you.

Disease Management

One in four adults has two or more chronic conditions.¹ Over seventeen million adults have asthma.² Every 42 seconds, someone has a heart attack.³ One in three adults could have diabetes by 2050.⁴ These numbers may scare you, but, unfortunately, they only scratch the surface of the chronic disease epidemic we face. With national healthcare costs continuing to rise, especially for chronic conditions, GW has partnered with UHC to offer Disease Management programs for eligible employees living with asthma, coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and heart failure. Why? Because these diseases require longer and more sophisticated clinical support to help members make informed decisions about their care. By allowing participants to gain a better understanding of their conditions (including better ways to manage their conditions, recognize symptoms, etc.), the program decreases unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency room visits, thereby reducing participant medical costs and improving their quality of life.

Program members are identified through several methods, including claims history, health assessments, Inpatient Care Advocacy and referrals (NurseLine, physician, or self-referrals). Once identified, members are contacted by UHC to develop personal care plans. From improving self-care to identifying warning signs to providing access to resources for assistance, UHC’s condition management programs share the goal of reducing members’ need for urgent/emergency services and improving their quality of life.

How does the UHC Diabetes Disease Management Program coordinate with CVS Caremark’s Transform Diabetes Care with Livongo?

Through cross-platform care coordination, both UHC’s and CVS Caremark’s diabetes management programs can work together to provide program participants maximized care without overlap. Both programs stand to supplement one another – while UHC Diabetes Disease Management program members can continue to receive high touch, comprehensive and ongoing engagement (via telephonic outreach and coaching from a Registered Nurse), simultaneous participation in CVS Caremark’s Transform Diabetes Care with Livongo can provide additional real-time outreach (via phone, email or text) from Livongo’s Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) based on blood glucose testing outcomes. Participation in the CVS program also brings other perks, including one-on-one pharmacy counseling and two annual MinuteClinic diabetes health evaluations (at no out-of-pocket cost).

Indeed, both programs work together to create an inclusive benefit for members, thereby making participant lives easier by simplifying the effective management of their diabetes.

Other Reasons UHC May Be Calling

• Wellness Coaching – Following completion of your Health Assessment, you may receive a call from a UHC wellness coach to discuss available coaching programs and strategies to help you work toward your wellness goals.
• Recent Hospitalization – If you’ve recently experienced an inpatient hospital stay, you may receive a call from Care Coordination to confirm your receipt of after-care instructions, medications, medical equipment and other needs.
• Healthy Pregnancy – If you participate in UHC’s Healthy Pregnancy Program, you may receive calls from the program’s experienced nurses offering educational services and health resources.

So, next time you receive a call from UHC, please go ahead and answer.

 

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Diseases: The Leading Causes of Death and Disability in the United States. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/.
2. Ibid, National Center for Health Statistics. www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm. Last updated January 2017.
3. CDC Foundation, April 2015. Heart Disease and Stroke Cost America Nearly $1 Billion a Day in Medical Costs, Lost Productivity. https://www.cdcfoundation.org/pr/2015/heart-disease-and-stroke-cost-america-nearly-1-billion-day-medical-costs-lost-productivity.
4. Ibid. Diabetes: Working to Reverse the U.S. Epidemic At a Glance 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/diabetes.htm. July 2016.