Electronic payments coming for USHEALTH claims

Please note: The effective date for electronic payments has recently changed from March to April.

Beginning in April, the insurance subsidiaries of USHEALTH Group, Inc. are moving to an electronic payments platform and will no longer send paper checks for claim payments* for services provided to USHEALTH plan members. This change is part of USHEALTH efforts to speed up payments to your practice by moving to digital transactions.

USHEALTH Group is a UnitedHealthcare company that offers health plans through 3 insurance company subsidiaries: Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, National Foundation Life Insurance Company and Enterprise Life Insurance Company, all of which access the ChoicePlus network. 

Action needed: Choose your electronic payment option

• Automated Clearing House (ACH)/direct deposit: USHEALTH recommends ACH through Optum Pay™ because it’s the quickest form of payment with no fees for the Optum Pay basic service. Payments can be routed by the tax ID number (TIN).
  • Enrollment usually takes less than 10 minutes. To complete your enrollment, you will need to provide your current bank account information, a copy of a voided check and a W9 or bank letter. Once your financial institution receives your ACH information, its approval takes 5–8 business days.
  • If you prefer this payment option, we encourage you to complete your registration by March 21, 2023. This should allow enough time for registration to be completed before USHEALTH stops mailing paper checks.

Please note: USHEALTH cannot hold claim payments while your ACH registration is being finalized and your ACH is activated with your financial institution.

• Virtual card payment (VCP): If you don’t enroll in the ACH payment option, you will receive a virtual card payment from Optum Financial in place of a paper check. VCPs are electronic payments that use credit card technology to process claim payments. There is no requirement to share bank account information.
  • A 16‐digit, single-use virtual card will be issued for payment (single or multiple claims). You’ll receive a VCP in the mail or via fax (if previously enrolled with correct fax number). 
  • Each VCP is issued for the full amount of the claim payment. However, VCPs may be subject to additional terms and conditions, including fees, between you and your card service processor.
  • You can enroll in ACH even after receiving a virtual card payment. However, ACH will only apply to future payments and can’t be applied to previous payments made.

Who this change affects

The move to electronic payments applies to health care professionals who signed a contract with UnitedHealthcare and currently receive claim payments from USHEALTH via paper check. If you already receive payment by ACH through Optum Pay, there is no change to your payment method and there is no action you need to take.

Questions?

• For general questions, please call Optum Financial Payment Services at 888-477-0230.
• For questions on Optum Pay ACH enrollment and ACH status, please call 877-620-6194.

*Medical professionals in Colorado, Georgia, New Jersey, Utah and Vermont, as well as Indiana dental professionals, if you do not consent to receive virtual card payment and you don’t want to set up direct deposit, please call 888-477-0230 to receive a paper check. If you are an out-of-network provider in Florida, New Mexico, New York or Oregon, and you do not consent to a virtual card payment or you don’t have direct deposit, please call 888-477-0230 to receive a paper check. If you are eligible for and have already requested and received a paper check exemption, you do not need to do this again, that exemption will carry forward.

© 2023 Optum Pay™ is provided/made possible by Optum Financial Services and its subsidiary Optum Bank, Inc., Member FDIC.

Important information

1. Merchant card processing fees may apply to virtual cards. Please reach out to your merchant processor or financial institution for information on specific terms and costs.

2. Processing your virtual card indicates your consent to receive and accept virtual card payments as payment in full from the payer.

3. Unspent funds for virtual cards are subject to state unclaimed property laws. Health care professionals in certain states have the ability to opt out of virtual cards and receive a check.

4. Health care professionals in the following states may request alternative payment methods:

Out-of-network Florida, New Mexico, New York and Oregon medical health care professionals

All network and out-of-network Utah, Vermont, Colorado, Georgia and New Jersey medical health care professionals

Indiana dental professionals

The processing of the virtual card is your consent to receive and accept virtual card payments. If you don’t consent, when you receive a virtual card, please call the number provided on your virtual card payment statement to arrange an alternative payment method.

5. You will have the option of signing up for ACH/direct deposit, the preferred method of payment, or to receive a virtual card payment (VCP). The only alternative to a virtual card is direct deposit. Both options allow you to get paid quickly and securely.

6. If your practice/health care organization is still receiving paper checks, you can enroll in ACH/direct deposit for your claim payments now. If you don’t elect to sign up for ACH/direct deposit, a virtual card will be automatically sent in place of paper checks.

7. If your practice/health care organization is already enrolled and receiving your claim payments through ACH/direct deposit from Optum Pay, there is no action you need to take.

8. When you are paid is determined by when you process your payment on your point-of-sale terminal.

9. Optum Financial, a UnitedHealthcare-affiliated company, provides payment services to the health care industry and offers various claim payment options. UnitedHealthcare-affiliated companies may receive transaction fees or other compensation related to some payment options.

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