UnitedHealth Group’s (UNH) insurance arm, UnitedHealthcare, on Wednesday announced a pilot program targeting independent rural hospitals to accelerate their Medicare Advantage payment timelines by 50%.
The company, the number one MA insurer in the U.S., plans to run the program in Oklahoma, Idaho, Minnesota, and Missouri over a six-month period and intends to expand it to additional hospitals and markets depending on insights gathered.
The program titled Rural Payment Acceleration Pilot aims to reduce the MA payment period to less than 15 days from less than 30 days, providing immediate cash flow relief for these rural hospitals facing financial challenges, UnitedHealthcare said.
“By speeding up payments to these critical facilities, we’re helping providers focus on what matters most: patient care,” said Bobby Hunter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Government Programs. “Together, we will learn quickly and scale what works.”