Oscar and Uno Health partner to unlock financial support and resources for Medicare Advantage members | hioscar Blog | Oscar
Oscar and Uno Health partner to unlock financial support and resources for Medicare Advantage members
Partnership helps Medicare Advantage members unlock financial assistance- critical relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Oscar’s Medicare Advantage members get increased access to government programs that provide financial support and social services – critical relief for low-income seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic provided through Uno partnership.
Oscar and Uno Health (opens in new tab) are partnering to help Oscar Medicare Advantage (opens in new tab) members unlock financial assistance, providing critical relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Uno has helped Oscar Medicare Advantage members achieve an average financial assistance of more than $5,000 per member.
Older Americans are higher-risk for COVID-19, leading to increased isolation from social support networks and other assistance. These social determinants of health create accessibility and affordability challenges for the many senior citizens who suffer from underlying health conditions, food insecurity, and a lack of financial resources.
More than 25 million Americans (opens in new tab) aged 60 or older live on less than $30,000 per year. 30-50% of Medicare members are eligible for financial assistance through government programs, but have not enrolled in them – often because they don’t know they exist or how to navigate complex signup processes.
Oscar and Uno are helping more Medicare Advantage members tap into this government support. Uno specializes in enrolling Medicare members in state and federal programs that offer financial assistance and has built a model that simplifies complex eligibility rules and applications into a single, streamlined process. The companies are working together to support Medicare Advantage members in New York and Texas.*
“Oscar is excited to be partnering with Uno to help our Medicare Advantage members access critical financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ananth Lalithakumar (opens in new tab), who recently joined Oscar to lead the Medicare Advantage team. “Through seamless partnerships with innovative companies like Uno, Oscar expands the scope of support we offer our members to meet more of the needs that impact their health.”
The partnership with Uno expands upon Oscar’s member-centric approach to addressing social determinants of health that create challenges for populations like older Americans, such as increased isolation during the COVID-19 outbreak. Uno is targeting 70% of Oscar’s Medicare Advantage members for enrollment into at least one program.
“We’re excited to partner with Oscar on our mission (opens in new tab) to deliver a solution that addresses the root cause of social determinants of health,” says Anna De Paula Hanika (opens in new tab), co-founder and CEO of Uno Health. “Our tight collaboration has allowed us to move quickly to respond to the needs of those most at-risk from COVID-19. In addition to unlocking critical financial assistance, we’ve been able to support members by getting groceries delivered to their homes, and matching those isolated with virtual companions.”
Uno Health (opens in new tab) is a tech-enabled service that enrolls Medicare members through their insurance plans or physicians into many of the financial programs they're eligible for, unlocking thousands of dollars into the pockets of most vulnerable Americans through programs including Medicaid, MSP, LIS, SNAP, Utility assistance, and Lifeline. The extra cash leads to improved health outcomes and savings for all, and a subset of programs unlock ~20% direct revenue for their Medicare insurers. Founders Anna de Paula Hanika (opens in new tab) and Chloe Phitoussi (opens in new tab) were inspired by first-hand experience in their previous roles at healthcare startups developing programs which aimed to improve people's health outcomes while balancing the financial incentives of the insurance plan.
*Oscar currently offers Medicare Advantage plans to Medicare-eligible consumers in the Bronx (Bronx county), Hudson Valley (Westchester, Rockland, Orange counties), and Houston (Fort Bend, Harris & Montgomery counties).
** Members in New York (Bronx, Rockland, Westchester counties only) and Houston (Fort Bend, Harris & Montgomery counties only) can utilize Capsule for delivery. Delivery to zip codes outside of those counties is not available at this time.
