Uber and Optum are making it easier for consumers of participating health plans to cover the purchase of eligible expenses within the Uber app.
Many people have access to supplemental health benefits that they may not use. Now, health plan benefit cards, including health spending account (HSA) and flexible spending (FSA) cards, can be added as a form of payment within the Uber app. This payment option can then be used to cover eligible expenses, including health related rides (like non- emergency doctor visits), over-the-counter items and healthy food.
The new and simple way to pay for items within the app, pairs the breadth and flexibility of Optum’s leading health payment platform with Uber’s national transportation and merchant network of grocery and retail stores, and will be offered as part of select Medicare Advantage plan benefits for 2024. It is expected to expand over time to also include people with Medicaid and commercial health benefits.
How it will look in the real world
To see how this will work in action, let’s consider “Barbara’s” situation.
Barbara is a Medicare Advantage member without a car and limited access to other transportation options. She has a health benefit card, issued on Optum’s payments platform, which she can use to pay for eligible over-the-counter items, groceries, and rides.
Here’s how it works:
- First, Barbara will add her Optum enabled benefit card as a payment method to her Uber account, just as she would a debit or credit card. Then, she can search through the Uber app for grocers, pharmacies, and convenience stores in her area and build a cart of the items she needs, opting for pick-up or delivery where available.
- When she’s finished shopping, her Uber cart will show a breakdown of what is covered by her card. It will even display how much was covered by a grocery benefit vs. an over-the-counter benefit.
- At this point, Barbara can make any changes she wants to the cart. If, for example, she finds out that the frozen pizza she added to her cart won’t be covered by her plan, she can decide to put it back, select another item, or pay for it with a different form of payment.
- When she pays, eligible items will default to the Optum card linked to the account, removing the need to follow the more traditional reimbursement process. Then she can track the order live and review replacements for items that may be out of stock.
- Once the order is delivered, Barbara will receive a receipt summary of what items were covered. This breakdown will include final charges to her healthcare benefit card and her personal payment method.
- Barbara’s benefit portal and mobile app reflect all of this activity in real-time, keeping her informed as she continues on her benefits journey.
This streamlined process makes it easier for people like Barbara to quickly see what their plan covers, pay directly with their healthcare benefits cards, and help them lead healthy lives.
Posted by Uber
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