Your benefits, decoded. Get the most. Pay the least.

01 — THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER

Five numbers to remember

Everything else is detail. These five drive what you'll actually pay in-network.

Preventive care

Annual physical, screenings, immunizations, well-child visits — always free in-network

Doctor visit copay

$35

$65 specialist · $50 urgent care — copays never touch your deductible

Medical deductible

$1,000

Per person, per year ($2,000 family cap) before coinsurance care kicks in

Your worst case

$8,400

In-network out-of-pocket max per person ($16,800 family) — the plan pays 100% after this

Dental allowance

$1,500

Per person per year, and unused amounts can roll over (see the playbook)

02 — YOUR PLANS

What you're covered by

Medical · PPO

UHC Select Plus PPO Gold w/ Care Cash

UnitedHealthcare · no referrals needed to see specialists

Preventive careFree

Primary care / specialist / urgent care$35 / $65 / $50

Deductible (person / family)$1,000 / $2,000

After deductible, you pay20%

Emergency room$250 + 20%

Generic drugs (Tier 1)$15, no deductible

Out-of-pocket max (person / family)$8,400 / $16,800

Dental · PPO

Guardian 1500 with Child Ortho

Guardian · DentalGuard Preferred network

Cleanings, exams, x-rays (2×/yr)Free, no deductible

Deductible$50 (max 3/family)

Fillings, root canals, extractionsYou pay 20%

Crowns, bridges, implantsYou pay 50%

Child orthodontia50%, $1,500 lifetime

Annual max per person$1,500 + rollover

Kids covered untilAge 26

03 — THE PLAYBOOK

Eight ways to pay less

The plan design rewards specific behaviors. Do these and most years you'll spend a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand.

Out-of-network you pay 50%, deductibles double, and many services carry a $1,000 penalty if not pre-authorized. Out-of-network lab work isn't covered at all.
Check any doctor before booking: whyuhc.com or the UHC app (1-800-782-3740). Dentists: guardianlife.com → Find a Provider (DentalGuard Preferred; "Tier 1" dentists = max savings).
Gotcha: an in-network hospital can still route your bloodwork to an out-of-network lab. Ask "is the lab/anesthesiologist in my network?" before procedures.

Saves: thousands per event

$0, no deductible: annual physicals, screenings, immunizations (flu shots), well-woman and well-child visits, prenatal visits.
Kids also get a free eye exam every year, glasses at just 20%, and free dental check-ups under the medical plan. Adults get 1 routine eye exam/year too.
Dental: 2 free cleanings + exams + x-rays per year, deductible waived. Book them — they also feed the dental rollover bonus (see #8).

Saves: $200–500/yr per person

Office visits are flat copays even if you haven't met your deductible: PCP $35, specialist $65, urgent care $50, therapy/mental-health office visits $35.
No referral needed to see any specialist.
Physical therapy, chiro, and acupuncture run on the $35 copay too (24 manipulation visits/yr).
Heads-up: if the visit turns into procedures or labs, those parts can bill separately against the deductible.

Saves: the fear tax — care stays predictable

Stitches, sprains, fevers, infections, minor breaks → urgent care: $50 flat.
The ER costs $250 + 20% coinsurance after deductible — a typical visit runs $1,000+ out of pocket. (The $250 is waived if you're admitted.)
Even cheaper: UHC 24/7 virtual visits through the app for rashes, colds, prescriptions refills.
Real emergencies (chest pain, stroke signs, serious injury): go to the ER. That's what the out-of-pocket max is for.

Saves: $500–1,500 per incident

Bloodwork, x-rays, MRIs, CTs at a freestanding facility or office: 20%. Same test at a hospital: 40% — and hospital list prices are higher to begin with.
Ask your doctor to send labs to Quest or LabCorp and imaging to a freestanding center. UHC's app flags "Designated Imaging Freestanding" locations.
For planned surgery, an ambulatory surgery center (20%) beats a hospital (40%) when clinically appropriate.

Saves: 50%+ on every test

Tier 1 generics: $15, no deductible ever. Brand drugs (Tiers 2–4) first hit a separate $300 drug deductible, then cost $55–$250 per fill. Always ask "is there a generic or Tier 1 alternative?"
On a maintenance med? Mail-order gives you 90 days for 2.5× the retail copay — a Tier 1 script drops from $180/yr to $150/yr, and brand-tier savings are bigger.
Check your drug's tier before filling: uhc.com/rxfind.
For cheap generics, compare the GoodRx cash price — sometimes it beats the copay (those fills just won't count toward your deductible).

Saves: $100–1,000+/yr if you take meds

This plan includes Care Cash — a UHC-preloaded debit card you can put toward eligible network care like primary-care copays, urgent care, and virtual visits.
Your card and the loaded amount arrive in your UHC welcome kit after Sept 1 — activate it and keep it in your wallet. It's free money for the visits you'd pay copays on anyway.
Track the balance in the UHC app.

Saves: whatever UHC loads — use it or lose it

Rollover bonus: in any year you claim under $700, Guardian banks $350 extra onto your future annual max ($500 if you only used in-network dentists), up to $1,250 banked. Getting your free cleanings still counts as claiming — so go.
Big work? Split it across December/January. Two crowns at 50% can blow past one year's $1,500 max — staging one in each calendar year gets both covered.
Do fillings early: an $80 filling today (you pay 20%) beats a $700 crown share later (you pay 50%).
Kids' braces: covered 50% up to $1,500 lifetime — braces must go on before the plan's age limit, so start the consult early.

Saves: $350–1,000 on major work

04 — CHEAT SHEET

"What will this cost me?"

Typical in-network scenarios. Print this, stick it on the fridge.

You need…	Go to…	You pay	Deductible?
Annual physical, shots, screenings	Your PCP	$0	Skips it
Sick visit / check something out	Your PCP (or virtual visit)	$35	Skips it
Specialist (derm, ortho, OB…)	Any network specialist, no referral	$65	Skips it
Therapy / mental health session	Network provider (office visit)	$35	Skips it
Stitches, sprain, fever on a weekend	Urgent care	$50	Skips it
Generic prescription	Any network pharmacy	$15	Skips it
Bloodwork / x-ray	Quest, LabCorp, freestanding center	20% after ded.	Applies
MRI / CT scan	Freestanding imaging center	20% after ded.	Applies
True emergency	ER	$250 + 20%	Applies
Hospital stay / surgery	Network hospital (pre-auth handled in-network)	$250 + 20%	Applies
Dental cleaning + x-rays (2×/yr)	DentalGuard network dentist	$0	Waived
Filling or root canal	DentalGuard network dentist	20% after $50 ded.	$50 once
Crown, bridge, implant	DentalGuard network dentist	50%	$50 once
Anything out-of-network	—	50%+ & penalties	Avoid

05 — YOUR PAYCHECK

The company carries most of it

LunarCrush covers 75% of your medical premium and 95% of your dependents', plus 90% of all dental for you and your family. Your exact monthly deduction is in Gusto → Benefits (estimates until underwriting finalizes).

06 — WATCH-OUTS

Four ways people get surprised

The out-of-network trapOut-of-network care means 50% coinsurance, a doubled deductible, $1,000 pre-auth penalties, and labs that aren't covered at all. Verify network status every time, even for providers a friend recommended.

Hospital-billed testsThe same blood panel costs 20% at Quest but 40% at a hospital lab. Where the sample is processed determines the bill — ask.

Brand-name drug deductibleTiers 2–4 have their own $300 deductible before copays kick in. If a new prescription shocks you at the counter, ask the pharmacist and your doctor about a Tier 1 equivalent before paying.

Dental annual maxGuardian stops paying after $1,500/person/year (major work adds up fast). Plan big treatment across calendar years, and remember premiums you pay don't count toward it.

Your benefits, decoded.Get the most. Pay the least.