Care Cash puts $200 or $500 on a prepaid card for using designated care, but plans paired with an HSA or HRA are not eligible.
Care Cash is a prepaid card that helps members pay their share of certain network care. It steers spending toward designated providers, and it does not work with every plan design.
What the program is and what members do.
What the card is
UnitedHealthcare describes Care Cash as a preloaded debit card that helps pay toward the cost sharing on certain eligible network health care expenses. The card comes with $200 for an individual or $500 for a family, and UnitedHealthcare says it is included in the plan, so the funds are the member’s to spend on eligible care.
Where it can be used
UnitedHealthcare lists UnitedHealth Premium Care providers, network primary care and specialty care providers, outpatient behavioral health providers, laboratories, convenience care clinics, 24/7 Virtual Visits and urgent care. After a visit that leaves an eligible out-of-pocket expense, the member pays with the card. A provider search on the Care Cash site shows what qualifies.
How members get it
Members sign in to myuhc.com, find Care Cash under Coverage and Benefits, and request the card. UnitedHealthcare says it arrives in 7 to 10 days and is activated by phone. The site shows the balance and recent transactions, and the card can be reloaded each year the member is eligible. Reimbursement is only available for services after activation.
Eligibility, funding and plan design.
Who can use it
UnitedHealthcare says Care Cash is available to subscribers on a Care Cash eligible plan. Not every employer plan carries it, and the member page says the amounts apply on eligible plans only. The card goes to the subscriber, so the employer should confirm how the benefit is described for covered spouses and dependents.
How it is funded
UnitedHealthcare says Care Cash is included in the plan, but the pages reviewed do not explain how it is priced, who funds the balance or how it appears in the rates. That detail should come from the proposal. Employers should treat the dollars as a plan feature with a cost, not as a free add-on.
Where it fits in plan design
UnitedHealthcare states that medical plans that offer health savings accounts and health reimbursement accounts are not eligible for Care Cash. That narrows it to traditional copay and deductible designs. Because the card is used for primary care, behavioral health, labs, urgent care and virtual visits, it directs spending toward lower-cost, earlier care.
What to settle before relying on it.
Does the plan we are considering carry Care Cash?
Confirm in writing that Care Cash is part of the specific plan and amount tier, not just offered by the carrier in general. If the group is weighing a switch to a plan with an HSA or HRA, say so up front, because that change removes the card.
Which providers earn the card, and do they match our employees’ doctors?
Care Cash is tied to UnitedHealth Premium Care providers and network care in listed categories. Ask for a provider search against the employee census. A card that employees cannot use at their current doctors becomes a source of complaints rather than a benefit.
What happens to the balance when coverage changes?
Ask what happens to unused funds when an employee leaves, changes plans or loses eligibility, and when the balance reloads. The pages describe annual reloads for eligible members, but employers should get termination and mid-year rules in writing before they are asked by an employee.
Common questions about this program.
Can employees with an HSA use Care Cash?
UnitedHealthcare says medical plans that offer health savings accounts and health reimbursement accounts are currently not eligible for Care Cash. Group plans built around an HSA will not carry it.
How quickly does the card arrive?
UnitedHealthcare says the card arrives within 7 to 10 days of the member requesting it on myuhc.com, and is then activated by phone. Reimbursement is only available for services received after activation.
Does Care Cash raise tax or compliance questions?
UnitedHealthcare says that if the card is used for ineligible 213(d) expenses, individuals may owe taxes, and it points them to a tax professional. Because it rewards use of designated care, employers should also have counsel and their tax adviser confirm how the benefit is treated.
Where these details come from.
This page summarizes what UnitedHealthcare publishes. Programs change, so confirm current details with the carrier before relying on them.
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