Tips to Help Navigate Health Care Choices in the Digital Age

By Dr. Greg Carnevale, chief medical officer, UnitedHealthcare of New York Manhattan Voice November 8, 2025

NYC LOCAL NEWS - As the demand for choice, flexibility and personalization in health care grows, more modern digital tools aim to help simplify tasks like navigating cost information and scheduling appointments.

Transforming the way people have traditionally interacted with health care with a simpler, more personalized experience may help improve access to care. New digital resources are designed to help empower individuals and families to find care and information to help support their needs, from finding providers to tapping into programs that support fitness, nutrition, mental health, and more.

Below are some helpful tips to consider to help you get the most out of digital health offerings.

Explore your member portal

Log in regularly to your health plan’s digital member portal to view benefits, manage claims and access wellness resources. These portals may provide a secure, personalized and user-friendly way to help you manage your health 24/7. Some plans may offer digital tools to help you compare provider costs and make more informed decisions.

When navigating health care options, provider search tools and cost estimators can be important resources for finding in-network doctors, specialists and facilities that can reduce your out-of-pocket costs compared to out-of-network providers.

Take advantage of virtual care

Virtual visits may make it simpler and more efficient to connect with providers. Virtual care can complement in-person care, offering an alternative for non-emergency care such as primary, urgent and specialist care.

Moreover, this type of care is growing in popularity across the country with many patients reporting higher satisfaction with telehealth services. Check your health care plan to see what virtual care options you may have available.

Talk to your employer about your health care options

There are a growing number of health and wellness offerings designed to complement traditional benefit options. Talk to your employer to understand what offerings may be available to you.

Some of these benefits may include programs that may support whole-person health and wellness, weight loss support and chronic disease management through programs like UnitedHealthcare’s Total Weight Support. Another option is Level2 from UnitedHealthcare, which can help members work to improve their glucose and work to improve their type 2 diabetes.

Check to see if digital experiences that are designed to help empower members to shop for discounted health and wellness offerings are available to you. For example, eligible UnitedHealthcare members now have access to UHC Store, a new online shopping experience where they can purchase discounted health and wellness offerings that may support their individual health and wellness needs.

Another option to consider is copay-only health plans. These health plans often eliminate coinsurance and deductibles and may help make it easier for members to compare cost and coverage options, so they better understand costs before their appointment.

From virtual visits to wellness apps and personalized portals, technology is reshaping the health care experience to help individuals take a proactive approach to their health.