UnitedHealthcare Launches Online Health and Wellness Store

Health insurance company UnitedHealthcare has launched a digital shopping experience that enables member-direct purchase of health and wellness offerings.

The new UHC Store, available in the UnitedHealthcare app and on myuhc.com, offers members discounts of up to 15% on weight loss programs, orthopedic management apps, women’s health resources and other offerings, the company said in a Wednesday (Sept. 24) press release.

UHC Store is now available to 6 million eligible UnitedHealthcare members, and the company aims to expand it to 18 million by the end of the year, according to the release.

“Across UnitedHealthcare, we are listening to our members and clients to understand and address their expectations for health care,” Dan Kueter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s commercial business, said in the release. “We are developing solutions like UHC Store to drive positive change in the health system and improve people’s experience with the ability to supplement their health benefits year-round.”

The PYMNTS Intelligence and Experian Health collaboration “Accessing Healthcare: Easing Digital Frictions in the Patient Journey” found that patient portals are now a must-have for healthcare providers and that 61% of patients interested in using portals would switch to a provider that offers one.

It was reported in May that UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was increasing its use of artificial intelligence across its business, had 1,000 AI applications in production, and was using the technology in its insurance, health delivery and pharmacy divisions.

For example, the company’s AI transcribes conversations from clinician visits, summarizes data, processes claims and controls customer-facing chatbots. In addition, roughly 20,000 of the company’s engineers use AI to write software.

In another recent development in the healthcare space, Walmart said Monday (Sept. 22) that its customers can now have refrigerated and reconstituted prescriptions delivered along with their groceries and other everyday items.

The retailer said that with the addition of these prescriptions to its Same-Day Pharmacy Delivery, it now offers more than 90% of prescription medications.

“Adding refrigerated prescriptions to our Pharmacy Delivery capabilities is the result of listening to our customers, identifying where we can create better, seamless experiences and keeping the communities we serve at the heart of what we do,” Kevin Host, senior vice president of pharmacy at Walmart, said in a Monday press release.