Whether you’re new to a Surest health plan or you’re looking for a refresher on how to get the most from your benefits, there’s a lot to explore and learn about when it comes to the app, the search tool and more.
The Surest plan from UnitedHealthcare is designed to help simplify how you access health care, while providing upfront pricing and benefits that work for you immediately – without a deductible to chip away at or coinsurance to pay. Instead, you’ll be able to choose medical care based on a single price or copay before you make an appointment.
This innovative approach has been shown to lead to higher rates of preventive care (pdf) and lower overall health care costs – both for consumers and employers. According to a recent impact study, people enrolled in a Surest plan had a 20% increase1 in physician visits and a 9% increase in preventive physical exams, compared to people in traditional plans. Surest enrollees also paid 54% less2 out of pocket, while employers saved an average of 11%3 .
Here are three tips to help you make the most of your plan and get started with Surest.
1. Get to know the Surest app
The Surest plan lists a single, all-in price for common medical services, conveniently available through data-driven recommendations displayed in the Surest app. First, set up a username and password to begin using your plan and download the app. Once you’re logged in, you’ll have access to easily search for care, see your claims, access your ID card, review your plan details and more.
2. Search for care
Whether using the app or logging in online, you can search for care in several ways, including by:
- Condition
- Symptom
- Treatment
- Procedure
- Specialty
- Provider
Once you’ve completed a search for care, you can click on View to see details about cost, coverage, location and how to set up an appointment. You may also see information on whether a care provider is accepting new patients and if they meet evidence-based measures for quality and value. You can also add your location, or wherever you want to access care for you or a dependent, to see a map view of which care providers may be closest.
3. Manage conditions with an integrated experience
When it comes to the complexity of managing chronic conditions, the Surest plan helps simplify the process by using the large UnitedHealthcare network of doctors, hospitals and clinics across the U.S., without the need for referral.
In-network care providers are clearly marked in the app, with upfront pricing that helps members control costs for their condition. Medication management is simplified through an integrated medical and pharmacy benefit to help streamline the experience. Members can search to see how their medications are covered and cost differences by pharmacy, including 90-day copay amounts.
Surest also offers members a number of support programs, from diabetes care and maternity to cancer care or mental health treatment, oftentimes at no or low additional cost. In addition, the Surest Clinical Advocacy team can help offer guidance on care providers or treatment options for all types of services.
Now that you have the steps needed to make the most of your Surest plan, you can feel empowered to help control your health care journey, with upfront cost transparency and data-driven solutions in the palm of your hand.
See how Surest helped one family better manage their health care costs.
Footnotes
- Surest 2022 book of business plan sponsors with both medical and pharmacy data within our warehouse; industry 2022 commercial benchmarks and risk adjustment methodology. Risk adjusted for demographics, geography, and disease burden. 168_V01, 66_V03, 169_V01, 71_V03, 67_V03.
- Comparison of 2022 medical out-of-pocket spend for members who migrated to a Surest plan in 2022 compared to members from the same employers in a non-Surest plan. 141_V04.
- Combination of modeled and actual results across Surest prospects and clients in 2022; independently developed benchmark based on a database containing health care claims from 80 million U.S. lives risk adjusted for demographics, geography, and disease burden. Cost and health results not guaranteed