‘I was relieved:’ The Surest plan helps family of 10 save on health care costs
Surest helps family better navigate health care
Dale Sweitzer and his wife, Carmen, are always looking for ways to reduce their costs and create simpler experiences. With eight kids, including two with special needs, they need strategies that help make life easier and more affordable.
This is especially true when navigating the often-complex world of health care.
“I have two children that are autistic and (have) ADHD,” Carmen said. “I have another child who sees a neurologist on a regular basis.”
The family said they were paying “enormous amounts of money” out of pocket and were frequently having to guess on what their final health care bills would looks like, making budgeting a challenge.
That is until they found the UnitedHealthcare Surest health plan.
“We lived in this murky world where we had to buy medical services but were unable to know what the cost of that service was going to be,” Dale said. “Surest came along and all of a sudden, I can know I have visibility into that. That’s incredible.”
The Surest plan is designed to help simplify care by providing upfront cost and coverage information, while the intuitive digital experience helps members more easily use their benefits and potentially save money. A recent analysis found Surest members paid 54%1 less out of pocket, while employers reduced their health care costs by 15%2.
Unlike some traditional approaches, with the Surest plan your benefits work for you immediately. There’s no deductible to chip away at and no coinsurance to worry about paying weeks after receiving care.
The Surest plan uses value-based copays, which means members may pay a different amount out of pocket depending on the services and care provider they select. Importantly, members can review and consider their coverage options before deciding on care, helping people make more informed decision regarding when and where to access treatments.
“They took the mystery out,” Dale said. “They took away all of the ancillary charges that we couldn’t predict.”
The Sweitzers said knowing the cost of their care upfront and getting a single bill for services is huge.
“I was just relieved,” Carmen said. “Surest helped us address medical needs that we’ve had for a long time that were prohibitive financially. It’s made things accessible that were not in the past.”
Dale and Carmen’s daughter, Abigail Metcalf, said the Surest health plan was especially helpful when preparing for the birth of Abigail’s son.
“Knowing how much I’m going to be spending ahead of time helps me plan on how to budget for diapers or how to buy a crib or the other necessities I needed to get ready for my son,” Abigail said.
Once he was born, she only received a single bill for her maternity care.
“The No. 1 value of Surest is that it helps us save money and find better care,” Abigail said.
For more information, visit Surest.com.
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