MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealthcare has introduced a secure, online electronic bill-payment service that enables consumers to pay their medical bills and manage their health care claims and related expenses all from one location. The online service, known as myClaims Manager, is available to more than 21 million UnitedHealthcare plan participants nationwide.
The bill-pay feature is the latest enhancement to UnitedHealthcare’s plan participant portal www.myuhc.com. The new service enables consumers to pay medical bills electronically by entering their credit card, debit card, health savings account, or bank account information, adding convenience for consumers while helping health care providers get paid faster and easier.
UnitedHealthcare is the first national insurance carrier to offer plan participants online bill-payment capabilities that are fully integrated with their online claim information. Such services are becoming increasingly important as consumers continue paying a larger percentage of their medical bills, according to a recent report from the American Medical Association. Currently, only about two-thirds of physician practices accept credit cards, according to a recent report from SK&A Information Services.
Designed in collaboration with InstaMed, the leading health care payments network company, the online system is available to UnitedHealthcare employer customers of all sizes and to their employees. UnitedHealthcare’s entire network of physicians and other health care providers are eligible to register and receive online payments through InstaMed.
“Technology is rapidly changing how people interact with health care professionals, navigate the health care system and make health care payments,” said Franco Rizzolo, DC, partner and administrator of Suburban Orthopaedic Medical Center, LLC in Newark, N.J. “The capabilities available through myClaims Manager, including the ability for patients to make quick and easy payments, represent an important advancement that is benefiting patients as well as health care providers.”
The online feature helps consumers better manage their health-related finances by:
- helping consumers to check claims for accuracy and resolve any discrepancies;
- highlighting the current status of an individual’s deductible and out-of-pocket spending;
- tracking medical expenses for tax reporting;
- providing claim details with color-coded visuals that help consumers understand what they owe and why;
- allowing consumers to make notes and flag claims for follow-up, as well as mark claims that they’ve already paid;
- enabling consumers to pay their out-of-pocket expenses to care providers online from the site, simplifying the experience by managing their claims and payments all from one location; and
- explaining health care terms in easy-to-understand language.
“This tool helps consumers take greater ownership of their health care decisions and treatments, offering a simple and clear way for people to manage all their health-related finances,” said Yasmine Winkler, UnitedHealthcare’s chief marketing & product officer. “By enabling consumers to more easily monitor, manage and understand their health care expenses, people can take charge of their health and make more informed decisions regarding their care.”
More consumers are embracing electronic payments to complete transactions with businesses. According to the financial industry research and consulting firm Aite Group, 64 percent of consumer bill payments were completed electronically in 2012, up from 49 percent in 2008.
“Simplifying the health care payment system is crucial for all health care stakeholders, and myClaims Manager represents an important evolution that is benefiting consumers, care providers and the entire health care system,” said Bill Marvin, president, CEO and co-founder of InstaMed. “Integrating myClaims Manager onto the InstaMed Network will result in more efficient and seamless payments between consumers and health care professionals.”
myClaims Manager is the latest innovation introduced by UnitedHealthcare that empowers consumers to make more informed health care decisions. Other examples include Health4Me, a mobile application that puts an array of personalized health information at people’s fingertips, and myHealthcare Cost Estimator, which enables people to comparison shop for health care services based on quality and cost.
About InstaMed
InstaMed simplifies
every healthcare
clearinghouse and payment transaction
for providers and payers, all in one place. InstaMed enables providers to
collect more money, get paid faster and reduce the time and costs to
collect. InstaMed allows payers to
cut settlement and disbursement costs with electronic payments.
InstaMed’s single, integrated network simplifies the healthcare payments
process for 400+ hospitals, 60,000+ practices/clinics and 100+ billing
services; connects to 3,000+ payers; and integrates with 50+ practice
management systems. InstaMed processes tens of billions in healthcare
payments each year at a rate of more than $1,000 per second. Visit
InstaMed on the web at www.instamed.com.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare
is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by
simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and
wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care
providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit
programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 780,000 physicians and care
professionals and 5,900 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide.
UnitedHealthcare serves more than 40 million people in health benefits
and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a
diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.
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