Many employers are offering a wealth of health and well-being solutions to support employees. However, managing these solutions can be a challenge for employers, and navigating them can be difficult for employees. To make it easier for both groups, UnitedHealthcare launched the UHC Hub last week.
The platform is free to large self-funded employers with more than 1,000 employees. UHC Hub makes it easier for organizations to handle procurement, vendor management and billing for third-party health solutions. The platform allows employers to select from UHC Hub’s menu of health solutions to contract with. The solutions address needs like nutrition, financial planning, family-building, cancer care and caregiving. UHC Hub’s vendors include mental health provider Brightside, women’s and family health provider Maven Clinic and musculoskeletal care company Hinge Health.
For employees, UHC Hub helps them find and enroll in solutions that are available to them through their insurance. UHC Hub can be accessed through the UnitedHealthcare app, myuhc.com or by speaking with one of the insurer’s health advocates.
UnitedHealthcare decided to create UHC Hub after hearing the challenges many employers and employees were having, said Samantha Baker, chief consumer officer for UnitedHealthcare’s commercial business.
“When we work with many employers, we consistently hear about the difficulties in evaluating and selecting health and well-being programs, as well as the administrative burden of managing multiple vendors and contracts,” Baker said in an email. “Not only that, but we also know some of these solutions are often underutilized by employees, in large part due to lack of awareness.
“Our goal with the UHC Hub is to help solve both of those challenges by streamlining the evaluation, selection, and management of various vendor solutions while making it easier for consumers to find and take advantage of the available resources,” Baker continued.
UnitedHealthcare claims that the platform can reduce costs for employers by up to 15% compared to what they pay by managing these solutions on their own. Baker added that it can save time for human resource departments by “evaluating, implementing, and promoting these health programs.” In addition, it helps employers “maximize the value of the investments they are making in these resources” by helping consumers find the health programs, Baker said.
As more and more employers battle point solution fatigue, various companies are trying to offer support. Accolade, Quantum Health and Solera Health all offer platforms that help connect employees to health and wellbeing programs while also streamlining the administrative process for employers. However, Baker declined to share how UHC Hub differs from what other companies are doing.
Baker said that the launch of UHC Hub speaks to larger trends in healthcare, with more employers focused on advocacy support.
“The launch of the UHC Hub underscores the importance of advocacy solutions, while at the same time highlighting the value of offering consumers an integrated, simplified experience,” she said. “By making it easier for consumers to understand and use their benefits, including tapping into relevant health programs, employers are better positioned to support the well-being of their workforces and help make health care more affordable.”
Photo: Feodora Chiosea, Getty Images
