Company Ensures Continuity for UnitedHealthcare Consumers,
Customers and Care Providers
UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, will
continue to offer important health care insurance protections that were
included in the 2010 health care reform law, no matter how the U.S.
Supreme Court rules in cases currently pending before the Court.
UnitedHealthcare will continue provisions related to coverage of
preventive health care services, coverage of dependents up to age 26,
lifetime policy limits, rescissions and appeals.
“The protections we are voluntarily extending are good for people’s
health, promote broader access to quality care and contribute to helping
control rising health care costs. These provisions make sense for the
people we serve, and it is important to ensure they know these
provisions will continue,” said Stephen J. Hemsley, president and CEO of
UnitedHealth Group. “These provisions are compatible with our mission
and continue our operating practices.”
These protections are effective immediately, and will remain available
to current and future customers and members. The company is not
establishing any sunset provisions.
UnitedHealthcare recognizes the value of coverage for children up to age
19 with pre-existing conditions. One company acting alone cannot take
that step, so UnitedHealthcare is committed to working with all other
participants in the health care system to sustain that coverage.
The specific provisions being extended by UnitedHealthcare are:
Preventive Health Care Services without Co-Pays
UnitedHealthcare believes preventive health care services are an
important component in helping people live healthier lives and in
controlling underlying health care costs. UnitedHealthcare will continue
to offer a spectrum of preventive health care services that do not
require cost sharing, such as those tailored to preventive health care
needs, yearly preventive medicine visits, screening for high blood
pressure and diabetes, and all standard immunizations recommended by the
American Committee on Immunization Practices.
Providing Dependent Coverage Up to Age 26
UnitedHealthcare was the first company to offer coverage for dependents
up to age 26 and will continue to provide that coverage. This applies to
dependents (adult children) up to age 26, regardless of their
eligibility for other insurance coverage, including those who are not
enrolled in school, not dependents on their parents’ tax returns, and
those who are married.
Eliminating Lifetime Limits
UnitedHealthcare does not impose lifetime dollar limits on policies –
that practice will continue.
No Rescissions, Except for Fraud
UnitedHealthcare will not pursue rescissions of individual coverage
except, as provided for in the Reform law, in cases of fraud or
intentional misrepresentation of a material fact. Rescissions generally
are considered to be any retroactive termination or cancellation of
coverage, except when due to the failure to timely pay premiums.
Providing Clear and Timely Options for Appeals
UnitedHealthcare will continue to ensure that consumers are offered a
simple, accessible external appeals channel and a process that is clear
and timely. The company will give consumers notice of available appeals
processes and the opportunity to review their files and present evidence
as part of the appeals process.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live
healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting
consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships
with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health
benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians
and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare
serves more than 38 million people and is one of the businesses of
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and
well-being company.
