UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH) will extend its Medicare Advantage plan to seniors across 300 new counties. It is making an aggressive move to clinch lucrative government business from rivals and serve additional 3.2 million people in new areas.
Commands 6.5 million subscribers
UnitedHealth commands a subscriber base of 6.5 million in its Medicare Advantage plan. It plans to extend individual Medical Advantage plans in 2021 to 291 new counties. With this new offering, its Medicare Advantage Plan covers a total of 2,427 counties next year, which is an increase of 5.521% compared to 2020. UnitedHealthcare business spokesperson said the company increases its presence to 49 states next year from 46 states in 2020 by adding Mississippi, Delaware, and Michigan.
Insurers’ lineup expansions
Several insurers expand their offerings to new regions before eligible seniors select new Medicare Plan benefits or stay with the existing plans because annual enrollment opens up from October 15, 2020, to December 7, 2020.
UnitedHealth, an established health plan player, expands its Medicare Advantage plans to foray into new regions and contracts. The federal government offers additional benefits/ services to senior citizens that comprise nurse help hotlines, disease management, dental care, vision, and wellness programs.
Every health insurance company in the US already offers Medical Advantage Plan. Insurance companies like Humana, Cigna, Anthem, CVS Health, and Centene will soon announce new expansion plans for the next year and beyond. They will include more supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage plans.
UnitedHealth insurance plans’ subscribers need not pay for routine hearing and vision exams, labs, telehealth visits, mammograms, and colonoscopies. It also caps insulin costs at $35 every month.
Expands association with Saint Luke’s Health System
UnitedHealth expanded its association with the Health System of Saint Luke recently. With this latest development, the company offered the Core Essential Plan, a new health plan, effective from January 1, 2021. The new plan will offer benefits to self-funded and fully insured employers in Wyandotte and Johnson counties located in Kansas, Platte, Jackson, and Clay counties in Missouri.
The employers can choose the new plan even if its facilities or offices are located in other counties in Missouri and Kansas to meet their employees’ health needs.
