CRA, UnitedHealthcare partner to improve health benefits access for restaurant owners, employees

New alliance to provide easy, affordable access to health coverage for state’s 1.4 million restaurant employees

The California Restaurant Association (CRA) and UnitedHealthcare are introducing an array of health care products and services that will provide nearly 1.4 million restaurant employees in California easier access to health coverage.

Through the collaboration, restaurant owners will be able to offer a wide range of medical benefit plans and other health care programs to meet the diverse needs of restaurant employers, employees and their families.

Individual employees without the option of employer-sponsored coverage can choose from a variety of UnitedHealthcare’s cost-effective individual and family plans.

In addition, the Restaurant Healthcare Discount Program offers restaurant employees discounts on a wide range of health care services. Though not an insurance program, it provides employees:

  • 10- to 50-percent discounts on health care services such as doctor visits and prescription drugs that are available at approximately 450,000 physician and hospital locations nationwide;

  • discounts on vision, dental, alternative care, fitness, weight loss and other wellness services;

  • and access to the 24-hour OptumHealth NurseLine.

The Restaurant Healthcare Discount Program costs $5 per employee per month.

Currently, as many as 6 million of the nation’s nearly 13 million foodservice industry employees are uninsured at any given time, including hundreds of thousands in California, according to the National Restaurant Association.
“We are committed to reducing costs in the health care system and expanding health care coverage for our workforce,” said Jot Condie, president and CEO, California Restaurant Association. “Our members will benefit by providing them easier access to affordable health care coverage for their employees and dependents and allow for future opportunities to provide added benefits.”

“UnitedHealthcare is partnering with the California Restaurant Association to ensure restaurant owners and their employees have access to tailored health information and medical benefit plans that best meet their health care needs,” said David Anderson, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual in Southern California.

For more information, go online at www.restauranthealthcare.org.