MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The United Health Foundation, the philanthropic foundation of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) – the parent company of UnitedHealthcare and Optum – is donating $200,000 to help residents of Puerto Rico in their ongoing recovery and rebuild following Hurricane Fiona.
The funds will be distributed to Direct Relief, a longstanding partner on disaster response. Funding will be directed to medical supplies to help strengthen Puerto Rico’s care delivery capabilities.
“We are deeply concerned for the people whose lives have been disrupted by Hurricane Fiona and we’re committed to helping them recover and rebuild,” said Legna Colon, vice president, Optum, Puerto Rico. “We are also taking action to ensure the people we serve have access to the care they need, and continue working to ensure the safety and well-being of our colleagues in the impacted areas.”
In addition to financial support for the affected communities, UnitedHealth Group is taking the following actions:
- Benefit Flexibility: UnitedHealthcare is offering benefit flexibility including early prescription refills, leniency and fee waivers on premium payments, extensions on claims filings, in-network coverage for out-of-network services, suspension of pre-certifications and referrals, and waiving authorization for transfers to skilled nursing facilities.
- Free Emotional-Support Help Line: Optum is offering a free emotional-support help line to people affected by Hurricane Fiona. The toll-free number, 1-866-447-3573, is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. CT. The service is free of charge and open to anyone. Callers may also receive referrals to community resources. Along with the toll-free help line, emotional-support resources and information are available online at www.liveandworkwell.com.
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.
