UnitedHealthcare’s new tech tool helps provide social support to employees in need

A new tech-driven tool from UnitedHealthcare will use predictive analytics to help support employees who may be experiencing social stressors and circumstances such as food insecurity or housing struggles.

The tool, which relies on de-identified claims data from UnitedHealthcare members, can identify workers that may be in need of additional support; call center advocates can then use a curated database of local resources to help employees access nutritious food, affordable housing or community support groups.

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“We recently added a new predictive analytics capability to our Advocate4Me customer care model to help to address the variables that may influence the health of our eligible members,” says Rebecca Madsen, chief consumer officer for UnitedHealthcare. “The targeted support model is intended to engage and assist people by helping reduce or eliminate barriers to well-being, diminish out-of-pocket consumer costs and avoid potential expenses for employers.”

Employers who utilize this capability will be able to provide support to employees who may be unwilling to talk about the challenging circumstances they are facing, which would likely otherwise go unnoticed or unaddressed.

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“Our Advocate4Me customer care team can identify employers with higher-than-expected behavioral health claims,” Madsen says. “With that information, our advocates are then more attuned to listening for signs of stress, anxiety or depression and helping pave the way — if needed — for connections to local support groups or other behavioral health resources.”

This program is currently only available to employers that have signed up for Advocate4Me offerings, but the insurance provider is expecting to roll out expanded and customized versions to additional employers by early 2022.

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“In the U.S. today, two-thirds of our healthcare spending focuses on medical issues and only one-third goes toward social services,” Madsen says. “Other countries do the opposite: they spend more on social programs, focusing on the root of many medical issues. This new capability helps employers address whole-person health. Since introducing the capability, eligible individuals have accepted over 50% of the offers for support. That’s an indicator that many employees are eager for this type of support.”