UnitedHealthcare: JarvisWRAP for December 16

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty recently wrote an Op-Ed published in the New York Times that UnitedHealthcare wanted to share with the agent community. Thank you for helping to deliver on their mission to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. You can access the full Op-Ed on the New York Times website, which may require a subscription.  

In addition, UnitedHealth Group issued a statement and provided a fact sheet, Friday, Dec. 13, regarding the misinformation circulating about UnitedHealthcare's medical claims approval rate. As sales agents, you are often the face of the company and may be receiving questions, so UnitedHealthcare wanted to empower you with factual resources.

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How to help members with prescription benefits in the new year

As we approach a new year, members often have questions about what’s next and how to get started. Now is the perfect opportunity to check in with members to help them know what they can expect at the pharmacy in 2025, including making sure they understand if their plan has a prescription drug deductible on certain drug tiers and how it works. Due to the Inflation Reduction Act, changes are coming to Part D coverage for 2025.  

• Remind members that once they meet their deductible, they move into the Initial Coverage Stage and pay only their copay or coinsurance.
• Once members, and others on their behalf, have paid a combined total of $2,000 – including any amount paid toward a deductible – they move to the Catastrophic Coverage Stage. Like in 2024, they won’t pay anything for Medicare-covered Part D drugs for the rest of the plan year.  

Members may also have questions about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, a new payment option that may help some members manage their Part D prescription drug costs. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, members can choose to spread out the out-of-pocket costs of their prescription drugs over the course of their plan year. The program is designed to benefit members who have high out-of-pocket prescription drug costs earlier in the plan year by spreading out their payments. UnitedHealthcare will be reaching out to members who may benefit from this program. This program does not reduce the members total annual drug cost.

You can learn more about the 2025 Part D program details and review Medicare Prescription Payment Plan FAQs (see page 5) in the Part D 2025 Overview Agent Quick Reference Guide that can be found in Jarvis.

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UCard retail update

For most Medicare Advantage members, the 2025 UnitedHealthcare UCard® includes a magnetic stripe, making it easier for members to use their credits when shopping in-store. Members can simply swipe their UCard at participating store’s checkout, just like any other debit or credit card.  

UnitedHealthcare is continuing to work with a few retailers to enable mag stripe technology. Visit the status page for the latest UCard retail information and resources.

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Share Your Thoughts – Annual Agent Survey

As we all look to the future, UnitedHealthcare values your feedback on how they can best support you and your members. You may receive an email from TRC Market Research, an independent research firm, asking you to complete our Annual Agent Survey. Be sure to check your spam folder if you do not see the survey invite in the next few days.  

This survey is an important tool UnitedHealthcare will use to gather your feedback and improve your experience. As always, you can also share feedback with your local leaders.  

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Make sure you are prepared for 2025 commission payments

Whether you're new to UnitedHealthcare or a seasoned agent, it may be helpful to refresh your understanding of Medicare Advantage commissions. And if you haven’t done so already, set up direct deposit to receive your payments quickly and securely by signing in to Jarvis, clicking your name in the upper right corner and entering your direct deposit information. Read more about when commission payments are made and how the rates are set in Jarvis.

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Changes are coming to FEMA Special Election Period

Beginning April 1, 2025, individuals wishing to use the Disaster/Emergency SEP must call 1-800-MEDICARE in order to make an election. Medicare Advantage Organizations and Part D Sponsors will no longer accept elections directly from beneficiaries using the Disaster/Emergency SEP. Additional reminders will be provided prior to this going into effect.  

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may have declared a weather-related emergency or major disaster in your state. Medicare beneficiaries affected may be eligible for a Special Election Period (SEP). For affected areas and SEP dates, please visit Jarvis. For marketing materials that comply with CMS marketing requirements, please visit the UHC Agent Toolkit and search keyword “disaster.” 

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Network hospital directory updates for AARP Medicare Select Insurance Plans

The list of participating network hospitals and corresponding service area ZIP codes for AARP® Medicare Select Insurance Plans, insured by UnitedHealthcare® Insurance Company have been updated to reflect changes through January 1, 2025. These changes apply to current, insured members as well as new sales. If you are enrolling a consumer in an AARP Medicare Select Plan, please make sure you are using the latest versions of the network hospital directories and confirm that applicants reside in a current AARP Medicare Select Plan service area.

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Supporting your business with the Agent Guide 

The Agent Guide is your resource to understand what you need to know to conduct your business. It lays out how to stay compliant and provides details to build your business with UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare updates this guide each month to ensure you have access to the most current information. Check out important updates in red in the Agent Guide, which is effective Dec. 1, 2024 in Jarvis.

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