By Tim Archer, Chief Executive Officer, UnitedHealthcare New England, October 1, 2026
The Surest health plan came from a group of innovators wondering: What if health care was easier to shop for? What if care options and costs weren’t a guessing game, but available in advance?
In 2016, that concept became reality. In 2022, the Surest health plan joined UnitedHealthcare to expand its reach while retaining a consumer-centric approach.
The Surest difference.
Available nationwide, Surest is an employer-sponsored health plan built around copays rather than deductibles. In New England, employers can choose the funding approach that best fits their needs—including self-funded, fully insured, and level funded options.
In a time of rising health care costs, the Surest plan offers an approach that may appeal to employers looking for a different way to manage benefits.
What makes Surest different? For one, with access to cost, coverage, and treatment options before making an appointment, consumers can evaluate providers and compare health care services much like they do other products and services. There is no deductible to meet and no coinsurance to calculate. Instead, members see a single copay in advance and can choose what works for their budget.
The pricing structure is also different. Surest Care Ratings help members understand, real-time in the Surest experience, the link between copays and provider value. Surest starts by evaluating providers on services they offer based on their historical effectiveness and cost-efficiency performance for a service. Then, a provider who scored higher gets a higher Care Rating—and a lower copay—for that service.
And Surest members have access to a broad, national UnitedHealthcare network of more than 1.8 million physicians and health care professionals and more than 5,600 hospitals.¹
The plan works, with proven savings for both employers and members.²
Employers typically save around 7%, and members may save 20% to 40%, depending on employer geography and specific plan designs.³
The power of transparency.
Since its introduction, Surest has grown from serving 1 in 9 of UnitedHealthcare’s largest employer clients to 1 in 4 today. Employers are seeing the value, including ISG, an architecture and engineering firm with more than 600 employees.
At ISG, thinking outside the box is part of the culture, and that mindset extended to their benefits. “We’re very open to having some change,” says Aubrey, ISG’s employee experience manager. “Surest is a great fit for us … having it on an app, having it be really easy, knowing your costs upfront … is just what our employees were looking for.”
Surest works. Proven results.
Instead of digging for answers, members can find information right in the app. This design makes it more likely for members to engage with the plan:
• 90% of households with a claim registered on the app⁴
• 88% of households with a claim searched before care⁵
And—with access to care options and cost information in advance—members who use the app choose differently than they would without this information.
• Members who shopped and obtained quotes prior to care were 57% more likely to choose higher-value providers than those who did not comparison shop.⁶
This resulted in:
• 17% fewer ER visits among members who shopped for care⁷
• 2.5 times more virtual visits than members on traditional plans⁸
Today, Surest has climbed to 1.3 million members and 4,000+ clients (and counting).⁹
Looking for a new way to think about health benefits? For more details, reach out to your broker or UnitedHealthcare representative, or visit surest.care/newengland.
