UHC: Updates Coming Soon to Some Renewing California Fully Insured Groups

Beginning April 1, 2024, UnitedHealthcare California small business and some large group clients that have purchased a non-HMO plan will begin to leverage a modernized experience from UnitedHealthcare upon their upcoming renewal. If your client has an HMO plan, they are not impacted at this time. Additional communications will be forthcoming on when the HMO plans will be included.

An important informational guide (pdf) for employers and brokers will be included in the automated Affordable Care Act (ACA) renewal package available on uhceservices.com. For 101+ clients, a copy will be provided with each client’s renewal.

This guide contains information for your clients offering non-HMO plans that they will need to know for their transition to the modernized experience.

• Employer groups will receive a new group number at renewal for their PPO Plans.
  • The new group number will be listed on ACA renewal packages, and if plan changes are made, on the plan change confirmation email after groups confirm their renewal with UnitedHealthcare.
  • The new group number will facilitate new health plan ID cards. This flier (pdf) can be sent to members enrolled in a non-HMO plan encouraging use of new ID cards. Brokers should consider working with impacted employer groups to send this information to their members.
• If clients use Optum Bank to administer their health savings account (HSA), UnitedHealthcare will transition all plan details automatically for enrolled members. New member debit cards are not necessary. To administer their plan, employer groups will receive an email from Optum Bank, including instructions on how to re-register with their new group number.
• Based on a client’s current elections, there may be additional changes that are outlined in the guide, such as billing and payment information, and how they work with third party administrators (such as payroll and eligibility vendors).
• The only impact to members is that they will receive a new ID card.
  • All members will use myuhc.com®. If a member is already registered on myuhc.com, they can continue to use the same HealthSafe ID® they use today.
  • Prior authorizations, accumulators and primary care provider elections will automatically transition with the member.
• Employers and brokers can find plan information, manage members, download copies of health plan ID cards, and view or pay their invoices on UHC's new broker and employer site, uhceservices.com.
  • Users of the Employer eServices® (EeS) site will be able to log in to uhceservices.com with their existing One Healthcare ID and password.

Because of the complexity of managing health benefits, UnitedHealthcare will introduce products, group size segments and funding types to these new tools in thoughtfully planned and sequenced stages. Throughout the process, anything not yet supported on the new tools will continue to be supported on existing UnitedHealthcare systems until they are transitioned.

Please see UHC's website for more detailed information on the enhanced service updates.