United Healthcare and Senior Care Coverage (2024)

UnitedHealthcare offers several different types of health care plans designed to meet the health and wellness needs of older adults, including:2

• Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans
• Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) plans: A, B, C, F, G, K, L, N
• Prescription drug (Part D) plans
• Dual-special needs plans (D-SNPs)

Many of UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare plans for seniors feature low and $0 premiums, $0 copays, and benefits that extend beyond Original Medicare. Many Medicare Advantage plans also include a comprehensive dental benefit, vision and hearing benefits, a fitness program, and a monthly credit for over-the-counter items and healthy foods.

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Original Medicare covers only short-term stays in a skilled nursing facility. You’re fully covered if you’re in a nursing home for a qualified reason for up to 20 days. After that, you’ll need to make a coinsurance payment. UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans, which include Medicare Part A and Part B benefits, offer the same coverage.

For help with ongoing nursing home stays, UnitedHealthcare offers Medigap plans. Medigap Plans fill in the gaps of Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans. Medigap plans from UnitedHealthcare fully cover up to 100 days of nursing home stays or skilled nursing care. Of course, you still need to account for plan deductibles.

Already in a long-term nursing home? UnitedHealthcare has a specialized Medicare Advantage plan for you. The UnitedHealthcare nursing home plan includes more benefits than Original Medicare, support from a dedicated care team, and Part D prescription drug coverage.

Many seniors prefer to age in the comfort of their own homes. However, aging in place alone isn’t always possible. There may come a time when you need one-on-one help from a professional caregiver. UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans offer Medicare Part A and B benefits, making that decision easier on your wallet.

To qualify, you must be homebound and under a doctor’s care. The services you receive must be part of your care plan. They must have intermittent skilled nursing care or therapy services. Covered home care services for qualifying seniors with a Medicare Advantage plan through UnitedHealthcare include:4

• Part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care
• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy in your home
• Medical social services
• Part-time or intermittent home health aide care (as long as you’re also receiving skilled services at the same time)
• Durable medical equipment
• Medical supplies for use at home
• Injectable osteoporosis drugs for women

UnitedHealthcare HouseCalls

UnitedHealthcare also has its own in-home health and wellness program, HouseCalls. Medicare members can receive preventive care appointments in the comfort of their homes. A licensed physician or nurse practitioner performs a physical exam and health screening. Then, you have the chance to ask questions. You can even have your loved ones or caregivers join the appointment to get their questions answered.

Medicare Advantage plans, including those from UnitedHealthcare, cover everything Original Medicare covers. However, hospice care coverage works a little differently. Hospice care, AKA end-of-life care, supports a patient’s medical, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs.

When someone elects hospice care, the costs of hospice are fully covered by Original Medicare — not by your Medicare Advantage plan. So, if you enroll in a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan, Original Medicare will foot the bill instead of your UnitedHealthcare plan.

For that reason, individuals who elect hospice care will need only Original Medicare to receive coverage. However, UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans come with plenty of other perks you may want.

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Assisted living is a long-term care solution for older adults where you can maintain as much independence as possible while receiving basic help with activities of daily living (ADLs). Since ADL care is non-medical, Medicare doesn’t cover assisted living costs. Similarly, none of UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage or Medigap plans cover assisted living.

Considering assisted living facilities are estimated to cost a median of $5,511 in 2024, not having Medicare to help with costs may be burdensome.8 The only type of insurance that helps cover your cost is long-term care insurance. UnitedHealthcare doesn’t offer long-term care insurance, but many other reputable companies do. If you already have long-term care insurance, check with your policy to see your benefits for assisted living.

UnitedHealthcare makes signing up for a Medicare plan simple for seniors. To get started, visit the provider’s website. By inputting your ZIP code, you can view all of the Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Medigap plans available in your area. Then, you can view details, compare plans, and enroll in the plan you like. The website is very user-friendly, and it’s easy to spot key details like deductible costs and copays. Plus, you can check to see if your current doctors participate in the plans you’re interested in.

You can enroll on the website or call UnitedHealthcare to have a representative walk you through the enrollment process. If you’d rather enroll by hand, that’s possible, too. You can download and print out a paper enrollment form, fill it out, and mail it to UnitedHealthcare.

Medicare covers a lot of your senior care needs, but not everything. For example, if your only needs are assistance with ADLs, Medicare won’t cover that. That means if you need help with bathing, dressing, preparing meals, or transportation, you’ll need to use other payment methods to cover the services.

Seniors and their families can pay for these costs with:

• Personal savings
• Retirement accounts
• Social Security income
• Long-term care insurance policies
• Private pay
• Home care loans

Sarah covers a range of senior lifestyle topics, from reviews of walk-in tubs and hearing aids to overviews of Medicare and Medicaid. Her close relationship with her grandparents gave her a firsthand look at the evolving life needs of older… Learn More About Sarah Goldy-Brown

Matt graduated from Bellarmine University’s School of Nursing and Clinical Sciences in 2011 and began his career in Louisville, Kentucky, as a registered nurse. He quickly realized his passion for the senior population, focusing on the long-term care of chronically… Learn More About Matthew Clem