UnitedHealthcare Opens New Health Benefits Store in Palisades Park

Managed Care Weekly Digest

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- UnitedHealthcare has opened its newest health benefits store to provide enhanced customer service and health education for Asian Americans in Bergen County (see also UnitedHealthcare).

New Jersey Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers can visit the store to learn about their Medicare coverage options or participate in health and wellness seminars in the community room. Customer service representatives can answer questions and help connect people with community resources and social services such as the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged & Disabled (PAAD) and Senior Gold programs - both New Jersey state-funded prescription drug initiatives that help eligible residents with the cost of prescription medications.

Customer service representatives are also available to help people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored plans review their benefits and eligibility, and provide translation service for documents, including those not related to health insurance plans.

Community leaders joined UnitedHealthcare executives at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new center, which is the company's 10th storefront dedicated to serving Asian-American communities in the United States.

"For more than two decades UnitedHealthcare has helped people in New Jersey's and New York's Asian-American communities live healthier lives," said Chris Law, national vice president, UnitedHealthcare Asian Initiatives. "This new storefront in Palisades Park will provide people who live in Bergen County the customer service and support they need to learn more about their health benefits and the many community services available to them."

Multiple phone lines are also available 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, including 1-877-718-3682 for Korean-language inquiries, 1-800-801-1900 for Chinese-language inquiries and 1-800-250-5779 for South Asian-language inquiries; TTY 711.

UnitedHealthcare was one of the first health plans to provide culturally relevant health care services to Asian Americans. The company founded its Asian Initiatives business in 1994 and established an office in New York City's Chinatown. Its other New Jersey storefront is located in Edison.

"There is an ongoing need for Medicare benefits education and helping people who are not as proficient in English navigate the health care system," said Phillip Franz, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement in New Jersey. "We hope this new location in Bergen will make it as simple as possible for more people to find the Medicare plan that works best for them and receive the support they need to make the most of their benefits."

UnitedHealthcare is the nation's largest business dedicated to meeting the health and well-being needs of seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries, with more than 11 million people enrolled in its Medicare plans.* For more information, visit www.uhcAsian.com. Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers can visit www.MedicareMadeClear.com to find helpful information in Chinese and Vietnamese, as well as English and Spanish.

Keywords for this news article include: Asia, Medicare, Health Policy, UnitedHealthcare.