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Now you can see the best doctors without worrying about the cost.
UnitedHealthcare has partnered with Garner Health to provide an innovative approach to accessing care for members enrolled in the Apple Advantage Plan. Garner uses data science to help Apple team members and their families find top-performing doctors. This helps you get better health outcomes and reduces the cost barrier to receiving excellent care. Newly eligible employees considering enrollment in the Apple Advantage Plan and enrolled members should use the Garner Health app to find top-performing doctors.
Find the best doctors.
The Apple Advantage Plan includes access to the Garner Health app and website with an innovative doctor search tool that helps you find top-performing doctors near you. These doctors are identified as Tier 1 providers.
Office visits with a Tier 1 doctor have a $0 copay. If your UHC network doctor is not listed with a Tier 1 flag, they are considered to be Tier 2, and their services may be subject to a $100 for primary care or $150 copay for specialists. If your doctor(s) are not in UHC's network, your responsibility may be 40% of the cost after your deductible.
Garner has compiled and analyzed the largest medical claims database in the United States to objectively identify the top-performing doctors. Garner analyzes over 60 billion medical records representing more than 310 million unique patients to find the Tier 1 doctors who have shown to:
Practice based on the latest medical research
Successfully diagnose problems
Produce the best patient outcomes
Get the highest patient satisfaction ratings
Garner has no financial relationship with doctors. The information provided is 100% objective and transparent and can give you confidence in your choice of doctors.
Get the very best care and pay less.
When you use the Apple Advantage Plan and select a Tier 1 doctor, you pay no copay ($0). That’s because Tier 1 doctors have shown to deliver better overall care, which leads to healthier results, lower complication rates and fewer hospital stays. This creates savings for everyone. It’s a win-win.
Optimize your personal healthcare Concierge.
In addition to your UHC Advocates, the Apple Advantage Plan gives you access to a personal Garner Concierge to help you find the best in-network doctors in your area and confirm their availability to see you. You can message the Concierge through the Garner Health app or website, or by calling 866-761-6720 Mon. - Fri. from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
Take Garner for a test drive.
As a newly eligible employee, you can create a trial account to explore your enrollment options for the Apple Advantage Plan. Check out the Garner experience through the Garner Health app or website. Go to getgarner.com/signup to get started. Enter your first name, last name, date of birth, phone number and email.
Note: If you are not comfortable entering your real information during the trial period, you can enter anonymous data except for your email address. The email you enter must be unique, and you'll need to enter it each time you log in. If you decide not to enroll in the Apple Advantage Plan, you will no longer have access, and Garner will delete all of the account information you created.
If you enroll in the Apple Advantage Plan, you’ll need to create a new Garner account unless you used your real information to create your account during the trial period.
FAQs
About Garner
Who is Garner Health?
Garner is an innovative healthcare partner that analyzes hundreds of quality metrics across individual doctors to identify the doctors in the UHC network who are achieving the best outcomes for their patients. Garner provides personal Concierge support and access to the Garner Health app for all Apple team members and their family members who are enrolled in the Apple Advantage Plan. Garner is not an insurance company and has no financial relationships with doctors.
Can I see whether my current doctors are Tier 1 or Tier 2 before enrolling in the Apple Advantage Plan?
Yes! If you are not yet enrolled in the Apple Advantage Plan, you can create a trial account and log in to the Garner Health app or website during your trial period. You’ll be able to verify if your current doctors are Tier 1 or Tier 2 or search for new doctors. Keep in mind that Tier 1 doctors are the top-performing doctors. So, it’s likely you may need to upgrade your doctors to receive your full benefit. To check the status of your current doctors:
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Create a Garner account. Download the Garner Health mobile app or go online at getgarner.com.
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Enter Apple as your Organization name to view Apple-specific information.
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Garner collects your first name, last name, birth date, phone number and email to power its doctor search and Concierge experience. If you are not comfortable entering your real information during the trial period, you can enter anonymous data except for your email address. The email you enter must be unique, and you'll need to enter it each time you log in. If you decide not to enroll in the Apple Advantage Plan, you will no longer have access, and Garner will delete all of the account information you created.
Please note that entering anonymous data will impact aspects of your Garner experience. For example, you may not receive new message notifications from the Concierge or be greeted by your real name when using the Garner Health app or Concierge services
Once I’ve enrolled, how do I see whether my current doctors are Tier 1 or Tier 2?
If you are already enrolled in the Apple Advantage Plan, you can verify whether your current doctors are Tier 1 or Tier 2 by searching for them by name in the app. You can also contact the Garner Concierge and ask them to confirm your current doctor’s tier status.
If your current doctor is ranked Tier 1, you will have a $0 copay for office visits.
If your current doctor is not Tier 1 and you continue to get care from a Tier 2 doctor, you will be responsible for paying the higher in-network copay of either $100 for primary care doctors or $150 for specialists.
If you want to take full advantage of the plan and are willing to change doctors, you can use the Garner app, website, or the Concierge to get Tier 1 provider recommendations.
Is it possible for the Tier status of my doctor to change?
Yes. Once a year before Open Enrollment, Garner reviews all in-network UHC doctors to assess if there should be a change in the doctor’s tier status. Garner makes these determinations by leveraging new data insights on doctor performance to objectively identity Tier 1 doctors that have shown to:
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Practice based on the latest medical research
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Successfully diagnose problems
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Produce the best patient outcomes
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Get the highest patient satisfaction ratings
It’s important that you use Garner during the year to confirm the tier status of your current providers.
What if I need help finding Tier 1 doctors?
After you create a Garner account, you can use the Garner Health app or website to message the Garner Concierge. Or, you can call the Concierge at 866-761-6720 Mon. - Fri. from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
What is Garner?
Garner is an innovative new healthcare partner that provides a data-driven doctor search tool to help you find top-performing doctors in the UHC network. Garner has compiled and analyzed the largest medical claims database in the United States to objectively identify the Tier 1 doctors who have shown to:
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Practice based on the latest medical research
-
Successfully diagnose problems
-
Produce the best patient outcomes
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Get the highest patient satisfaction ratings
Garner provides personal Concierge support and access to the Garner Health app for all Apple team members and their family members enrolled in the Apple Advantage Plan.
What is the difference between UHC and Garner?
UHC is Apple’s medical claims administrator for the Apple Advantage Plan. UHC offers health plan advocates who can answer questions about your coverage or copays, resolve claim issues or work with a nurse to provide information about available clinical programs.
Garner is the data engine and care navigation support behind the Advantage plan, partnering with UHC to identify top-performing (Tier 1) doctors in the UHC network.
How secure is my personal information?
Garner is a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"). Additionally, Garner is SOC 2 Type II certified. SOC 2 requires companies to establish and follow strict information security policies and procedures, encompassing the security, availability and confidentiality of customer data. For more information, visit https://www.getgarner.com/privacy.
Does Garner report anything to my employer?
No. Everything is confidential. Garner will never share your personal health information with anyone, including your employer, without your consent.
Access to Garner
How do I create a trial Garner account?
You can create a trial Garner account that will remain active until your enrollment period closes. Your trial account will give you temporary access to the Garner Heath website and app.
When you create your account, enter “Apple” as your organization name. Garner collects your first name, last name, birth date, phone number and email to power its doctor search and Concierge experience. If you are not comfortable sharing your personal information with Garner during your trial period, you can enter anonymous data of your choice for your first name, last name, DOB and phone number. However, your email address must be unique, and you'll enter it each time you log in to Garner during your trial period.
Please note that entering anonymous data will impact aspects of your Garner experience. For example, you may not receive new message notifications from the Concierge or be greeted by your real name when using the Garner Health app or Concierge services.
If you elect the Advantage Plan, you'll need to create a new Garner account unless you entered your real information during the trial period.
What do I need to do after I’ve elected the Apple Advantage Plan?
If you enroll in the Apple Advantage Plan, you must create a new Garner account unless you entered your real information during the trial period. You can create an account in the Garner Health mobile app or online at getgarner.com. Enter Apple as your organization name. Garner collects your first name, last name, birth date, phone number and email to power its doctor search and Concierge experience. Once you’ve created your Garner account, you can search for Tier 1 doctors and contact the Garner Concierge for support when you need it.
Within a few weeks of your enrollment in the Advantage Plan, UnitedHealthcare will send you a new member booklet along with your combination medical and prescription ID card(s).
How do I access Garner?
You can access Garner via the Garner Health mobile app and online at getgarner.com.
Can my dependents access Garner resources?
Yes. Dependents 18 years and older can create a Garner account and access the Garner Health app or website.
If I enroll in a different Apple medical plan, can I access Garner?
No. You can only access Garner if you enroll in the Apple Advantage Plan. If you need to find network providers, both UHC and Aetna offer a search feature with designated quality providers. However, the functionality and data behind those measures are less comprehensive than Garner’s.
About Garner’s designated Tier 1 doctors
What sets Tier 1 doctors apart from other providers?
Garner uses over 500 metrics to identify which doctors provide best-in-class care in their area of expertise. Garner bases overall scores on the quality and value of a provider’s procedures, outcomes and reviews. Additional metrics include adherence to best practices, accuracy of diagnoses, quality of treatment, patient experience and more.
How does Garner determine a provider’s quality of care?
Garner considers the following:
1. Adherence to best practice sample metrics:
• Do the doctor’s patients have more/less missed routine cancer screenings than their peers?
• Does the doctor have a higher rate of prescribing opioids?
• Does the doctor have a higher frequency of prescribing low-value treatments or highly invasive surgeries?
2. Patient health outcomes sample metrics:
• Do the doctor’s patients have more/less frequent hospitalizations for routine conditions or avoidable conditions than their peers?
• Does the doctor have a higher readmission or missed diagnosis rate?
• Does the doctor have more success preventing a treatable condition from escalating or worsening?
3. Patient experience
Garner normalizes patient outcome data, so if a doctor tends to have more high-risk patients or patients starting their treatment at a more advanced stage, Garner considers this and adjusts that doctor’s rating.
How does Garner’s data-driven approach differ from other carriers?
Garner evaluates doctors at the individual physician level. Garner aggregates and examines all claims by a particular doctor, including the treatment and recommendations made by a doctor, incorporating metrics around preventive care, unnecessary care, prescribing patterns, site-of-service and patient outcomes. Most other published quality ratings base their scores on the hospital system level or physician group-level data using clinical quality and cost-efficiency criteria. Individual doctor information is generally unavailable. In this case, a high-quality rating could reflect their affiliated medical group achieving certain cost and quality measures.
Garner's unique physician-level approach allows it to provide specific data on why a particular doctor is considered high quality.
How often are doctor credentials updated by Garner?
The data and insights available through Garner are updated regularly as patient reviews and provider performance data change. Top-performing provider data is updated on an annual basis so doctors who are designated as top-performing providers will not change throughout the year. If a doctor remains in UHC’s network but loses their Tier 1 status because of annual network changes, the Apple Advantage Plan will honor their Tier 1 status through the end of the year or until you are able to transition your care to another doctor – whichever occurs first. However, if the doctor drops from UHC’s network during the year, their Tier 1 status will change and they will be considered an out-of-network provider. If this happens, call the UHC Advocate for Apple to see if you are eligible for Continuity of Care.
Finding a Tier 1 doctor
Does it matter where I search for Tier 1 doctors, whether on Garner or through UHC?
You can search in either tool, and the Tier 1 designation for medical providers will be the same whether you use Garner or UHC. If you want detailed quality metrics explaining why a doctor is top tier, that information is available in the Garner Health app, on the website and from the Garner Concierge. For specific searches, you may be directed to one or the other. For example, searching for a Tier 1 behavioral health provider can only be done through Garner. For fertility, you’ll be directed to a UHC Health Advocate to help you find a Center of Excellence and connect you with Apple’s Fertility Solutions nurse to help you get the best outcomes and maximize your benefits with Apple.
Are all doctors in the Garner Health app Tier 1 providers?
No. Both Tier 1 and UHC in-network doctors will be listed in the Garner Health app.
How will I know which Tier 1 doctors are accepting new patients?
If you search for a doctor by name, you will be provided with a recommended list of Tier 1 doctors and can see which doctors are accepting new patients. If you search for a doctor by specialty, you will only see doctors accepting new patients. If you have questions about provider availability or would like to confirm that a provider is accepting new patients, contact the Garner Concierge.
What if my current doctor isn’t a Tier 1 doctor?
You can still enroll in the Apple Advantage Plan if your doctor isn’t a Tier 1 provider. However, if you continue receiving care from your current doctor, you will be responsible for paying the higher in-network copay amount. If you want to take full advantage of the Apple Advantage Plan and are willing to change doctors, you can use the Garner Health app to find a Tier 1 doctor and your copay will be $0.
Will there always be a Tier 1 doctor available for me?
Yes. Garner’s quality metrics are relative, meaning they will assess and rank the best available doctors in your area.
What if I can’t find the doctor I’m looking for when searching by name?
If you can't find the doctor you're looking for in the Garner Health app, contact the Garner Concierge to confirm whether the doctor is a Tier 1 provider and accepting new patients.
Can my doctor apply to be in the Tier 1 network?
No. Garner provides objective doctor quality rankings by analyzing data on over 45 billion claims using more than 500 metrics. Doctors cannot apply because Garner's rankings are based on a track record of accurately diagnosing health issues, successfully treating patients and receiving excellent patient reviews.
Specialist doctors
What should I do if I need to get care from a specialist?
You can use the Garner Health app or contact the Concierge to find a Tier 1 specialist in your area. If you have a complex condition, we encourage you to contact the Garner Concierge, who can provide expertise in researching the doctors best suited to serve your needs.
What if I can't find a specialist for my condition through Garner?
There are some specialists for whom you can’t search (e.g., chiropractors) in the Garner Health app, and the Garner Concierge can assist you by finding a provider. If you can’t find a particular type of specialist, contact the Garner Concierge for assistance.
There are also instances where you may not find unique specialty providers through Garner. Contact the Garner Concierge for assistance finding a comparable provider or work with a UHC Health Advocate to help you find an in-network provider.
Who to go to for help
When should I contact UHC Health Advocates versus the Garner Concierge?
Health Advocates will continue to be your single source for questions. They are well versed in the Apple Advantage Plan, whether you need help finding a Tier 1 doctor, clarification on what services are covered, help to resolve a claim, assistance with a complex medical issue and more. There may be some cases where a Health Advocate will refer you to Garner Concierge, such as if you need help finding a specific type of specialist, using the Garner Health app or answering questions about provider rankings.
What should I do if I have trouble using the Garner Health app?
Contact the Garner Concierge in the Garner Health app, getgarner.com or by calling 866-761-6720 Mon. - Fri. from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
If you have questions that have not been answered,
please contact the Garner Concierge at 866-761-6720
Mon. - Fri. from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
Terms and Conditions. Privacy Policy. ©2023 by Garner Health Technology, Inc.
Garner has no financial relationship with doctors. Recommendations are based solely on independent analysis, not commissions or fees. The information provided is 100% objective and transparent, and makes finding an excellent doctor faster and easier.
All of our programs function through employer-sponsored health plans. Garner Health is not an insurance company.
Garner Health is a Medicare Qualified Entity.
