UnitedHealthcare to Expand Use of Digital Data to Personalize Senior Care

February 2019 ~

UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has announced plans to expand collection of digital data for Navigate4Me, a program that helps members enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plans manage chronic conditions.

UHC launched its Navigate4Me program in fall 2017 to better serve people enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plans who are facing complex health issues such as diabetes, congestive heart failure or multiple chronic conditions. People who have experienced a sudden health event such as joint replacement surgery or a new cancer diagnosis are often also eligible for the program.

According to the announcement, results have been positive, with a 14% reduction in hospitalizations and a 9% reduction in emergency room visits for people with congestive heart failure. Since the launch of the program, UHC’s team of navigators has expanded from 12 to more than 800 people and supports approximately 215,000 individuals. The company says it plans to double enrollment in 2019 by expanding the population eligible for the program to an increase of 1 million.

UHC says it will add another 500 navigators to its team to support individuals the four groups to which Navigate4Me will be newly available:

1. Those who are under 65 and qualify for Medicare due to a disability;
2. Those who receive post-acute care following hospitalization and meet other eligibility criteria;
3. Those who are newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease; and
4. Those who are at risk for social isolation.

Currently, the Navigate4Me program has a 95% satisfaction rate among plan participants who have received navigator support.

Source(s): UnitedHealthcare; UnitedHealth Group; Becker’s Hospital Review; FierceHealthcare;