How the Surest Health Plan helped improve access to care and lowered costs

How the Surest health plan helped improve access to care and lowered costs

Encouraging a healthier workforce has long been a priority for employers aiming to attract and retain top talent and spur productivity.   

To help achieve these goals, many employers are opting for a more modern approach to health benefits such as the UnitedHealthcare Surest health plan, which is designed to help improve access to care with the goal of reducing health care expenses.   

Surest represents the next evolution in value-based health benefits that aim to deliver a better experience. The upshot of the Surest model is improved access to care, more satisfied consumers, and lower total costs, which is important as many employers and employees grapple with issues such as inflation and navigating an often-complex health care system.   

We are often creatures of habit when making health care benefit decisions. As a result, some employees may feel inertia and stick with a traditional plan. If your organization offers the Surest health plan, or if you are considering such a change, your employees may have questions. 

 Here’s a look at how Surest is different from traditional health plans and how this approach may help meet the care needs of employees and bolster your company’s bottom line.     

Surest helps remove financial barriers to care 

Because 38% of Americans avoid or delay health care due to costs, making medical services more affordable is imperative to help improve access and promote a more equitable system. Research has shown many consumers struggle to fully understand traditional health plans, including concepts such as deductibles and coinsurance.   

By contrast, Surest eliminates deductibles and coinsurance and provides upfront cost and coverage information through an intuitive mobile app. Rather than having to chip away at a deducible before coverage kicks in, people enrolled in Surest can use their benefits right away, including for low-or-no-cost virtual options.  

Due to this approach, some employees may be reluctant to switch plans because they have a health savings account (HSA), which must be paired with a high-deductible plan. With Surest, employees keep their HSA savings and can continue to spend those dollars on qualified health care expenses. The Surest health plan can be paired with a flexible spending account (FSA).

Surest helps make comparison shopping for care simpler

Costs for the same health care services can vary within the same city. In the past, it was difficult for people to access cost information for health care services, limiting the ability for many consumers to comparison shop for medical services.  

Surest empowers consumers with the cost and coverage information they need to inform their choices. Surest uses variable copays, which means the copay may vary depending on the care provider and facility selected, with higher-value options generally assigned a lower copay.  

Surest logo purple

For instance, when Surest members use the app or website to search for a service such as back surgery, they can know their actual cost in the form of a co-pay before they schedule the procedure. The member’s copay may be lower – in some cases by thousands of dollars – if they select a particular care provider and facility. Providers are evaluated based on effectiveness, safety and cost efficiency.  

Surest is designed to make it simpler, clear, and easier for members to comparison shop for care, and more than 90% of the time Surest members select care providers and facilities that have been evaluated for quality and value1  

Surest does this without limiting members’ options in terms of network care providers and without adding additional referral requirements. Importantly, Surest uses the broad, national UnitedHealthcare and Optum Behavioral Health networks of doctors, hospitals, and clinics. 

 Surest improved access to preventive care 

A study showed the Surest plan is making it easier for consumers to access preventive care, which may help identify potential health concerns earlier and may contribute to better health outcomes and improved quality of life.   

For employees in a traditional high-deductible commercial plan, a UnitedHealthcare survey found that 42% of consumers chose to skip or delay care whenever they could, primarily because of concerns related to the deductible.2  

Surest members had a 20% increase in physician visits3 and a  9% increase in preventive physical exams compared to people enrolled in high-deductible plans. That included a  15% increase in preventive mammograms and a  34% increase in preventive colonoscopies. 

Surest helped lower total cost of care for employers and employees 

With medical care ranking as the second largest expense for employers behind salaries, it is vital companies maximize the value of their health benefits. At the same time, employers want to avoid shifting care costs to employees, such as through higher paycheck deductions.   

Some employers are achieving that outcome through the Surest plan. Due to its user-friendly digital experience, the Surest plan can drive impressive savings for employers and employees. In fact, Surest members had 54% lower out-of-pocket costs.4 

A leading global professional services firm recently released a study showing the Surest health plan delivered more affordable and equitable care.   

The study found the Surest health plan’s a copay-driven model that allows members to see the full cost of care before they seek care led to lower claim costs exceeding $400 per member per year. Plus, improved spend and utilization were observed in all age groups, over multiple years and across various conditions.5 

This third-party research showed a reduction in the total cost of care with the Surest health plan, sustained over time, across demographics, conditions, and comorbidities. 

Surest enhanced member satisfaction 

For employees enrolled in Surest, the Net Promoter Score® – a key measure of consumer satisfaction – was significantly higher than industry benchmarks. Nine out of 10 Surest members re-enroll in the health plan year-over-year.6 

Surest offers a compelling, proven approach to health benefits, helping empower consumers and simplify the health system. UnitedHealthcare is working to apply these lessons more broadly to make the health system work better for everyone and help our members live healthier lives. 

For more information, please visit www.surest.com.

Bryan Palmer, Chief Executive Officer, Employer & Individual Health Plans of Georgia and Alabama for UnitedHealthcare, has been with the organization for 20 years, starting in 2002 as an account manager for Key Accounts in South Florida. He held a variety of Small Business and Key Accounts sales and account management leadership roles until 2016, when he assumed the role of regional growth officer for the Southeast region. Palmer’s extensive experience in sales and account management, coupled with his regional growth experience, enables the Georgia and Alabama Health Plan to maximize its growth potential. He is a mission-driven leader and excellent people manager, as exemplified by the strong relationships he’s developed both inside and outside UnitedHealthcare.

This is a paid editorial in partnership with UnitedHealthcare and Trevelino/Keller. For more information on how to advertise, please email editor@huntsvillebusinessjournal.com.