UnitedHealth Group Accelerates Nearly $2 Billion in Payments & Support to Health Care Providers to Help with COVID-19 Financi...
April 07 2020 - 4:30PM
Business Wire
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), through UnitedHealthcare and
Optum, has announced it is taking steps immediately to accelerate
payments and other financial support to health care providers in
the U.S. to help address the short-term financial pressure caused
by the COVID-19 emergency.
“We are grateful to the health care providers and their teams
who are on the front lines battling COVID-19,” said UnitedHealth
Group Chief Executive Officer David S. Wichmann. “The actions we
are taking today will provide nearly $2 billion in accelerated
payments and financial support so our care provider partners can
focus on delivering needed care.”
UnitedHealth Group’s move to accelerate claim payments to
medical and behavioral care providers applies to UnitedHealthcare’s
fully insured commercial, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid
businesses. Other financial support currently includes the
provision for up to $125 million in small business loans to
clinical operators with whom OptumHealth is partnered.
“I applaud UnitedHealthcare’s actions to improve the liquidity
of the health system during these very difficult times for care
providers, particularly those dealing with the significant economic
consequences caused by this pandemic,” said Sam Hazen, CEO of HCA
Healthcare. “Many health systems are having to make very difficult
decisions due to the cost of preparing and responding to COVID-19
plus the reduction or elimination of elective procedures, so steps
like this will meaningfully mitigate the need to make some of these
decisions.”
The decision to accelerate claims and incentive payments builds
on previously adopted measures taken by the company to streamline
processes for health care professionals and facilities, as well as
to help members more easily access the care they need. This
includes:
- Suspension of prior authorization requirements to a post-acute
care setting.
- Suspension of prior authorization requirements when a member
transfers to a new provider.
- Extension of timely filing deadlines for claims for Medicare
Advantage, Medicaid and Individual and Group Market health plans
during the COVID-19 public health emergency period.
- Implementation of provisional credentialing to make it easier
for out-of-network care providers who are licensed independent
practitioners to participate in one or more of our networks.
Providers should go to www.UHCprovider.com for specifics on
UnitedHealthcare policies and guidelines.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care
company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and
helping to make the health system work better for everyone.
UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services
through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides
health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which
provides information and technology-enabled health services. For
more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at
www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on
Twitter.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200407005779/en/
Eric Hausman 952-936-3963 Eric.Hausman@uhg.com
UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH)
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