UnitedHealthcare members can call a registered nurse any hour. Employees need to know the line is there.
UnitedHealthcare publishes a NurseLine that connects members with registered nurses 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It helps a caller decide between the emergency room, a doctor visit and care at home, so the job is making sure employees know it exists.
What the UnitedHealthcare NurseLine does.
Registered Nurses, Day or Night
UnitedHealthcare describes registered nurses available any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for members and their families, and says the service is included in most of its insurance plans.
Help Choosing Where to Go
UnitedHealthcare says the nurses help a caller work out whether to go to the emergency room, see a doctor or care for the problem at home, and can help find doctors, hospitals and urgent care centers.
Information Beyond Symptoms
The line also covers health questions, explaining a diagnosis or treatment a doctor has given, and medication information, including ways to save on prescriptions and avoid interactions.
Where employees find the number.
Use the Number UnitedHealthcare Gives the Member
UnitedHealthcare lists a toll-free number and a TTY option through 711, with more at myuhc.com. We confirm the right number for each plan before it goes on enrollment materials.
Know the Limits
UnitedHealthcare says the nurses cannot diagnose problems or recommend treatment and the line does not replace a doctor. It is not for emergencies; call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
When employees should use it.
Not Sure It Needs Care
A short call can settle whether a symptom needs a visit, can wait for the doctor, or is something to treat at home.
Choosing a Setting
When the choice is between urgent care, a follow-up appointment and the emergency room, the nurse can talk it through.
After Hours
Evenings, weekends and holidays are when employees most need an answer and the doctor’s office is closed.
Always an Emergency First
If someone may be having an emergency, call 911 or go to the emergency room. The line is for questions, not for delay.
What we would settle before leaning on it.
Does the Plan Include It?
UnitedHealthcare says the NurseLine is included in most of its insurance plans, and its flyer notes it is not an insurance program and may be discontinued. We confirm it is part of the plan we place or review.
What Does It Cost the Employee?
The UnitedHealthcare material we reviewed does not state a cost. We ask UnitedHealthcare and report the answer rather than assume the call is free.
Is the Number Current?
The flyer we reviewed is older, so we confirm the current number and hours with UnitedHealthcare before publishing them to employees.
Common questions about the UnitedHealthcare nurse line.
Is the UnitedHealthcare line available 24/7?
UnitedHealthcare describes registered nurses available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Confirm the details for your plan with UnitedHealthcare.
Can the nurses diagnose or prescribe?
UnitedHealthcare says the nurses cannot diagnose problems or recommend treatment, and the line does not replace a doctor.
What if our carrier is not UnitedHealthcare?
Other carriers offer their own lines, with different hours and numbers. We list what each plan includes when we review it.
Where this comes from.
Details above come from a UnitedHealthcare NurseLine flyer published by an employer and a 2021 UnitedHealthcare article. Confirm current terms with UnitedHealthcare for your plan.
Send us your renewal.
We’ll tell you whether it looks competitive, where we see opportunity, and the five questions we’d put to your carrier. No cost, and no obligation to move anything.
The renewal letter
Your current plan summary
Contribution split by tier
Enrolled counts by tier
Four documents — two more if your group is 50 or more. Nothing else; every extra one is a reason to postpone.
An independent employee benefits consulting firm. We look at the entire benefits program: cost, plan performance, risk and administration.
Switch to CFH. Unhappy with your broker? Your employees won’t notice. You will. →
Cookies on This Site
We use cookies to keep the site working properly and to understand how it is used. You can decline anything that is not essential. See our Privacy Policy for the detail.
- Essential: needed for the site to load and for you to move around it. These cannot be switched off.
- Analytics: tell us which pages get read, so we know what is worth writing more of.
- Advertising: set by third parties such as ad and social platforms to measure and target campaigns.