Wellness fund guide / UnitedHealthcare

How to use your UnitedHealthcare wellness fund

Many UnitedHealthcare groups have wellness dollars to spend each year. Here is how a UHC wellness fund usually works, and how to put it toward wellness boxes for your team.

How UnitedHealthcare wellness funds work

Many UnitedHealthcare employer groups have a wellness fund in their plan agreement. You may hear it called wellness dollars or a wellness credit. It is money UHC sets aside for your company to spend on employee health and well-being, and it is most common with fully insured plans.

The amount, the deadline and the rules are set in your group's agreement, so they vary. Your UnitedHealthcare account manager or your broker can tell you how much you have and when it expires. UHC account managers often refer their groups to us when they are looking for a way to use their wellness dollars.

Like most carrier funds, a UHC wellness fund is usually use it or lose it. Any amount left at the end of your plan year typically does not roll over.

New to wellness funds? Our wellness fund guide covers the basics for every carrier.

What it can pay for

Each group's rules are a little different, but UnitedHealthcare wellness funds generally cover things that help employees build healthier habits or learn about their benefits, like wellness events, fitness challenges, health education and employee wellness boxes built around a health theme.

Wellness boxes work well because they reach every employee, including remote and field teams. Each box is built around a theme like stress relief, healthy eating, sleep or exercise, and can include printed materials like your EAP flyer or benefits information. That makes the spend easy to tie to a real wellness goal, which carriers like to see. For ideas, see how to pair your wellness boxes with an initiative.

How we bill UnitedHealthcare

Payment depends on how your group is set up with UnitedHealthcare. Your account manager will confirm which way applies.

UnitedHealthcare pays us directly

Once your order is approved, we send the invoice and our W-9 to your UHC contact and they pay from your fund.

You pay, UHC reimburses you

We send you the invoice and our W-9, you pay it, then submit the paid invoice to UnitedHealthcare to be reimbursed from your fund.

Not sure which one you have? Loop in your UHC account manager and we will work it out together.

Step by step

  1. Confirm your balance and deadline with your UnitedHealthcare account manager or broker.
  2. Request a proposal. Tell us your headcount, budget per employee, wellness theme and delivery date.
  3. Share the proposal with UnitedHealthcare for approval if they need to sign off.
  4. Sign the proposal. We send the invoice and W-9 to UHC or to you, depending on your setup.
  5. We build and ship your boxes, usually in about 4 to 5 weeks.

Orders start at $3,000 total, and most companies spend between $35 and $65 per box. If your deadline is close, reach out as soon as you can and we will tell you what timing is possible.

Common questions

Can UnitedHealthcare wellness dollars pay for employee wellness boxes?

In most cases, yes. HealthBoxed is an approved wellness fund vendor with all major carriers, including UnitedHealthcare, as long as the boxes support a wellness theme. It is still worth confirming with your UHC account manager before you order.

Who do I contact at UnitedHealthcare about my wellness fund?

Usually your UHC account manager. If you work with a benefits broker, they can connect you.

Can my UHC account manager request a proposal for us?

Yes. Account managers and brokers can request a proposal on behalf of their client, and we will keep everyone copied.

Do UnitedHealthcare wellness dollars roll over?

Usually not. Most funds follow your plan year, so plan your order early enough to deliver before your deadline.

Other carriers

Cigna · Aetna · Anthem · CareFirst · All carriers

HealthBoxed is an independent wellness box company and is not affiliated with UnitedHealthcare. Wellness fund amounts, rules and payment steps are set in each group's plan agreement, so confirm the details with your UnitedHealthcare contact or broker.

Ready to put your UnitedHealthcare wellness fund to work?

Tell us about your team and we will send a custom proposal within 1 business day. You can also ask for a quick call first.