Field Account Managers: Serving as trusted advisors and advocates for employees

Genesis: When I started at UnitedHealthcare, I was an intern supporting Sales Account Executives in the New York City metropolitan area. I’m fluent in English and Spanish, so, although I work closely with brokers and human resource groups, I really saw this as an opportunity to work directly with Spanish-only speaking members in my book of business and bridge that gap in understanding the U.S. health care system and the benefits that are available to them. I see myself as a key liaison between our customers, their employees and our dedicated client service managers (DCSMs).

Christian: The employers that I support have between 10-300 employees, and I work closely with our brokers to ensure they have the proper tools in supporting the clients they represent. I connect brokers and employers to the right UnitedHealthcare contacts, promote our wellness offerings and help our constituents navigate what can be a fragmented system at times. I am a resource in supporting open enrollment meetings, wellness reviews, and mid-year/quarterly check-ins. With these touch points, it ensures that members have the tools necessary to be smart consumers of their health offerings and get the most of the services they need.

Danielle: I support clients in the large group space, and I have been doing a lot of what I call “wellness checks” lately. Those include checking in on our clients HR teams via phone or email. Those brief check-ins sometimes lead to a bigger conversation about barriers to care that their employees may be experiencing. The most common are general access questions, wanting more clarity on a certain benefit or help with a pharmacy or claim issue. The best part of my role is that I get to educate members directly on how to access their resources. When I strategically plan an education and engagement event with my broker and clients this just strengthens their trust and relationship with UnitedHealthcare.

Darci: I work very closely with the Strategic Account Executive who is aligned with my current book of business. Together, we interact with brokers and employer groups on a daily basis, which allows us to dig into details and really get to know the people we support. I also help break down product or service information they may receive directly from UnitedHealthcare that they may not understand. My role is a lot about education and providing information in a way brokers and employers can understand and share with their employees.

Genesis: During open enrollment, I’m focused on supporting members and helping them understand what’s available to them and how to use our different tools, especially those that are digital like the UnitedHealthcare app and myuhc.com. For instance, one of my clients had been with a previous insurer for over a decade and most of the teachers and staff were nervous about migrating to a new plan. So, I set up regular calls and visits with them to understand their plan education needs. Sometimes, this time would be spent explaining deductibles, coinsurance or out-of-pocket costs. And then sometimes, it was introducing them to the UnitedHealthcare app and teaching them how to sign in on their phones.

Darci: I’ve been a FAM for my entire 16-year career at UnitedHealthcare, and I understand how important it is to build trusted relationships. One way I do that is by connecting with my employer customers at various touchpoints throughout the year. When it comes to renewal and open enrollment discussions, I partner with our Strategic Account Executive and Health Analytics Consultants to pull together claims data that can inform brokers and employers about the types of benefits and program support their employee populations may need. This can provide a lot of value when it comes to health plan decisions. Or, if mental health is a priority, we can highlight our robust set of behavioral health offerings that can enhance that employer’s health plan. Additionally, if employees are engaging in and utilizing wellness benefits, we can look to expand those. For example, there is a lot of interest this year in the new UnitedHealthcare Rewards program which brings together different wellness programs, so I’m sure that will factor heavily into my open enrollment presentations.

Christian: One of the largest values of being a member with UnitedHealthcare is being able to take advantage of the many wellness offerings and benefits that we provide. As a FAM, I take pride in being able to promote these offerings and propose real solutions to our clients and their employees. One of my favorite offerings to discuss is our UHC Rewards program, which gives members a real chance to earn dollars for living healthier lifestyles and completing activities they are most likely already doing in their day to day lives. With the groups I support I take the approach of quarterly check ins to incentives engagement within our offerings and ensure members know what dollars are being left on the table. One specific group comes to mind, where a member pulled me aside after a Wellness Review meeting and shared a personal story in which these dollars helped her cover the cost of a procedure for her son and allowed her to prioritize the expenses that where most pressing that month. Those are the stories that make my job rewarding.

Danielle: I have an employer customer based in my hometown. When they came on as new business, I was excited to partner with the Account Executive, because this employer was a member of my own community. During last year’s open enrollment, I helped this customer promote a wellness program it was rolling out to its employees, which is now part of UHC Rewards. I then followed up with them regularly throughout the year to make sure their employees were engaged in the program. The members I supported really enjoyed getting financial incentives for meeting goals and ended up with the most earned dollars in their market. They are now in their fourth year with us. It goes to show you the importance of the UnitedHealthcare model of making local FAMs available to brokers, employers and employees.

Genesis: A lot of my employer customers manage warehouses, and, during the pandemic, it was more difficult to engage their employees because much of the office staff went virtual, as did I. My job was to make sure we were still getting information and support to those warehouse workers, many whom didn’t speak English. So, I created Brainsharks, or training modules and videos, in English and Spanish and linked to them via QR codes on the company website or within fliers I printed and made available to those who were in-person. This became a very popular way for employees to get the information they needed during the isolation of COVID-19. It was another way to help keep them connected and engaged in their health plan.