UnitedHealthcare today announced at the 2014 International CES
myEasyBook, an online health care shopping service that makes it easier
and more affordable for consumers to make appointments with local health
care professionals, including for same-day and next-day appointments.
myEasyBook
enables consumers to make appointments online with a click of a mouse
and compare in-network care providers in multiple specialties, providing
discounts of 30 percent or more compared to average out-of-pocket
expenses for health care services. Consumers are able to search by
specialty, location and appointment date, and compare cost information
for each health care provider, giving consumers a more accurate picture
of expected out-of-pocket expenses and potential savings. The service
enables health care professionals to attract new patients and fill gaps
in their daily schedules, while also getting paid up-front for their
services and helping to reduce administrative and billing expenses.
myEasyBook is designed for UnitedHealthcare plan participants enrolled
in high-deductible health plans linked to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
and Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs). Consumers can also pay for
appointments by credit card, debit card or bank account, as well as use
the service to more easily track and manage health care expenses. The
service is now available to employers and their employees in Phoenix and
will be available to employers in Dallas and Denver in early 2014, with
additional markets to be added through the year.
A variety of medical services can be booked through myEasyBook,
including pediatric care, routine physicals, magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) tests, physical and occupational therapy, dental and vision
appointments, and massage therapy.
“This innovative service helps people find quality local health care
providers more efficiently and at their convenience, delivering value to
both patients and providers through a simple, personalized experience,”
said Tom Paul, chief consumer officer, UnitedHealthcare. “Consumers are
gaining a convenient tool to help them access affordable care at
transparent prices, while medical professionals are able to attract new
patients and fill any gaps in their daily schedules.”
UnitedHealthcare introduced myEasyBook last year as a pilot program in
Phoenix. So far, 37 percent of users have booked appointments for within
two days, and 50 percent of all users have utilized the service more
than once.
“myEasyBook has helped our practice and the patients we serve, making
care more accessible, convenient and affordable,” said Nathan L.
Anspach, MA, FACHE, senior vice president and CEO, Scottsdale Lincoln
Health Network. “This new service is helping make it easier for patients
to connect with health care providers, which can help improve health
outcomes and make the health system more efficient.”
In addition to showcasing myEasyBook, UnitedHealthcare’s
3,000-square-foot exhibitor booth at CES demonstrates how the health
care company’s health benefits, services and technologies are helping to
simplify the consumer health care experience by making helpful,
practical information more accessible and affordable through personal
technology devices such as smartphones, video game consoles and
television programming.
CES attendees who visit the UnitedHealthcare booth [#25515] can interact
with a wide range of innovative health tools, including:
-
Virtual Diabetes Prevention Program: The NOT
ME Virtual Diabetes Prevention Program (VDPP) is the online
version of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an evidence-based
group lifestyle change program that helps people at high risk for
developing type 2 diabetes prevent or delay the disease through modest
weight loss via healthy eating, increased physical activity and other
lifestyle changes. The VDPP was recently named an International CES
Innovations 2014 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree in the
“Technology for a Better World” category.
-
DanceDanceRevolution Classroom Edition: A
collaboration with Konami is bringing DanceDanceRevolution (DDR)
Classroom Edition, the wildly popular dance game that has shown to
encourage physical activity among adults and children, to another
school. The participating school will use the game to track its impact
on students’ health, well-being and exercise habits. The collaboration
last year brought DDR Classroom Edition to schools in Longwood,
Fla.; Gainesville, Ga.; and Fresno, Texas.
-
Renew (formerly NOVU): Renew is an online engagement platform
that inspires and rewards UnitedHealthcare plan participants for
taking care of their health and wellness by allowing them to earn
points toward healthy products, raffles and local deals.
-
WellView: WellView is a unique consumer web application that
automatically aggregates disparate data including electronic medical
records from physicians, personal health records, health care
expenses, health plan balances and more, all in one place. WellView
also offers helpful tools such as online appointment scheduling,
provider search and a symptom checker to help improve the experience
for consumers and get them to the right resource sooner.
“Each year at CES we listen to and connect with our customers. In
response, we are pushing deeper into the digital and online space to
deliver integrated offerings when, where and how our customers want to
be reached,” said Richard Migliori, M.D., chief medical officer,
UnitedHealth Group. “The technology and innovative collaborations we are
showcasing in our booth this year make it easier and more fun for people
to become active participants in their own health outcomes, empowering
them to live healthier lives.”
Company Executives to Address CES Silvers Summit, Digital Health
Summit
Several UnitedHealthcare executives will also make presentations during
CES. Terry Clark, UnitedHealthcare’s chief marketing officer, will
deliver the keynote address at this year’s Silvers Summit (Tuesday, Jan.
7, 12:25-1:15 p.m.) about what the health care industry can learn from
other sectors about using technology to reach the nation’s
fastest-growing market segment.
At the CES Digital
Health Summit, Tom Paul, UnitedHealthcare’s chief consumer officer,
will speak about the role technology plays in managing the health and
well-being of empowered consumers (Wednesday, Jan. 8, 10:05-10:50 a.m.).
Dr. Migliori will speak about the intersection of technology and
preventive care (Wednesday, Jan. 8, 10:55-11:45 a.m.); and Yasmine
Winkler, UnitedHealthcare’s chief marketing, product and innovation
officer, will speak about how improvements in telehealth are creating
“point-of-care everywhere” (Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2:20-3:10 p.m.).
For more on UnitedHealthcare presence at CES, as well as the company’s
booth and speaking engagements, visit www.ceshealth.com
or follow @CESHealth
on Twitter.
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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Copyright Business Wire 2014