See how UCard can bring simplicity to the Medicare experience
When Renata was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) several years ago, she had to give up her job as an accountant. She found herself struggling; even when her physical symptoms were under control, she was worried about them flaring up, while living on savings and stretching every dollar. Eventually, she turned to a food bank in order to help make ends meet.
“It was terrifying,” Renata said.
But she soon found hope and support thanks in part to her Dual Special Needs plan (or D-SNP) from UnitedHealthcare — a Medicare Advantage plan for people who also have Medicaid. She found herself in a position to thrive, with access to healthy food, health care services and a greater overall sense of well-being. This has included care for her MS and a primary care physician that fits her needs, but the plan goes far beyond this.
At the heart of that experience — and what helps connect all the pieces — is the UnitedHealthcare UCard®.
It may seem like a simple membership ID card at first glance, but UCard can be used for numerous components of a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan, including:
- Checking in at the doctor’s office or pharmacy
- Signing up for a free gym membership
- Buying over-the-counter (OTC) health and wellness products
- Buying healthy food
- Earning rewards for healthy behaviors, such as getting a flu shot or achieving activity goals
“I scanned my UCard at the grocery store and the [cashier] and I both look at each other like, ‘Can you believe my insurance is doing this for me?” Renata said.
After someone enrolls in or renews their UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan, a member receives a UCard. There are thousands of eligible OTC items the UCard can be used for, and members can shop at more than 55,000 national retail locations or online.
The UnitedHealthcare UCard is the member ID and so much more. The UCard grants access to a large network of Medicare Advantage providers, credit to help pay for healthy food, OTC products and home utilities, and more.
This includes the ability to shop at thousands of participating stores, including Walmart, Walgreens, Kroger and CVS, or at neighborhood stores near you – with opportunities for home shipping, as well. A new product scanner available on the UnitedHealthcare mobile app shows real-time confirmation of covered products, and members simply scan the barcode on their physical UCard or by using the digital barcode available in the UCard Hub for payment.
UCard helps provide a simpler and smoother experience for using benefits and programs, making it easier to take advantage of what a plan has to offer. If there are benefit credits, they are loaded onto the UCard monthly or quarterly. What’s more, an enhanced UCard Hub on the member website and mobile app gives members real-time access to available balances, a store locator and more.
In 2023 alone, more than 6.3 million members have used their UCard, racking up more than 66 million transactions across healthy food and OTC purchases, utility payments and other services – all totaling more than $3 billion spent in direct support of members’ needs1.
Renata says UCard has proven to be the foundation of a different kind of health care experience – one that allows her to focus on things that are important to her, like riding on her bike and being there to support others through a similar journey.
“Maybe there’s someone who is just getting diagnosed like me – I want them to know it [can] get better,” she said. “My mood is better, my outlook is better; depression, anxiety, fear – it’s all better. MS isn’t going anywhere, but neither is this card. That’s so comforting.”
For more information about UCard and UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans available in your area, visit UHCMedicareHealthPlans.com.
