New UnitedHealthcare App Now Gives Millions of Plan Participants On-Demand Access to Virtual Visits

Millions of Americans now have access to on-demand telemedicine services 24/7 with the new UnitedHealthcare app.

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Here's a look at how telemedicine is changing the way Americans access health care, offering convenient, cost-effective treatments for nonemergency medical conditions 24/7 via a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. (Graphic: Business Wire)

The UnitedHealthcare app provides health information for people on the go, offering plan participants a single source to help maintain and improve their well-being, access care and make the most of their health benefits. Eligible plan participants can now use the app to directly schedule and conduct a Virtual Visit with a doctor, helping eliminate the need for multiple sign-ins or to download a separate app.

The app is available now for download at no additional charge for Android and Apple devices to more than 27 million people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare health benefit plans.* People enrolled in most UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored plans have coverage for virtual physician visits, giving plan participants secure, online access to a physician via mobile phone, tablet or computer 24 hours a day.

“Digital health resources are fundamentally changing how people navigate the health system, making it possible to access care from anywhere at any time and helping remove barriers to care,” said Anne Docimo, M.D., UnitedHealthcare chief medical officer. “The new app is part of UnitedHealth Group’s more than $3 billion annual investment in data, technology and innovation, helping build a health system that is more intuitive, affordable and convenient.”

Implementing more virtual care solutions is a top priority for many employers, with 51% of companies planning to do so, according to a 2019 study by the National Business Group on Health. The expansion is especially important for people with chronic conditions and the 20% of the U.S. population that lives in rural areas where access to health care, particularly specialty care, is often lacking.¹

About 25% of emergency room visits involve conditions that could appropriately be addressed with a virtual visit.² Virtual care generally costs less than $50 per visit compared to an average of $740 for an emergency room visit for a similar low-severity condition³, and is designed to provide an alternative way to access care when clinics and urgent care facilities are closed.