How to check UnitedHealthcare eligibility
A portal or phone check takes a front-desk staffer 10–15 minutes per patient. A real-time 270/271 check returns plan status, copays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums in seconds.
- Payer ID
87726 - Real-time 270/271
- Commercial
- Response verified July 2026
Three ways to verify UnitedHealthcare coverage
- Payer portal — free, but one patient at a time and 10–15 minutes each with logins.
- Phone (IVR) — hold times vary; no written record for the chart.
Automated 270/271 check
Full benefit detail in seconds, batched for your whole schedule — not one patient at a time.
From $0.50 per check, pay-as-you-go.
UnitedHealthcare at a glance
What billers need before running a check.
Payer ID
87726Also known as 00198, 10002, 10122, 10187Real-time eligibility
AvailableResponses return in 1.1 seconds, 24/7.Coverage
dental, medical, visionCommercialOperating area
NationwidePayer website
What a live UnitedHealthcare check returns
Documented from real 271 eligibility responses. This is the actual level of detail — not a marketing summary.
Coverage
Cost sharing
Why this matters: UnitedHealthcare is one of the few payers that returns the assigned primary care provider and network restrictions in the eligibility response — the two things that turn an otherwise covered visit into a denial.
Supported transactions
What can be exchanged electronically with UnitedHealthcare today.
Eligibility (270/271)
SUPPORTEDReal-time benefit and coverage checksClaim status (276/277)
SUPPORTEDWhere a submitted claim standsProfessional claims (837P)
SUPPORTEDPhysician and outpatient claimsInstitutional claims (837I)
SUPPORTEDFacility claimsDental claims (837D)
NOT AVAILABLEDental claimsRemittance (835 ERA)
ENROLLMENT REQUIREDElectronic remittance adviceCoordination of benefits
SUPPORTEDSecondary-payer routingClaim attachments (275)
SUPPORTEDSupporting documentation
Portal vs. phone vs. automated
The same verification, three ways.
| Measure | Payer portal | Phone / IVR | Automated check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time per patient | 10–15 min | 15–30 min | Seconds |
| Cost per check | Staff time, one login per patient | ~$8.57 in staff time* | from $0.50 |
| Record for the chart | Screenshot | None | Full audit trail |
| Whole-day schedule | One at a time | One at a time | Batched overnight |
*A manual eligibility check costs a medical practice $8.57; an electronic one costs $2.00. Source: 2024 CAQH Index.
What Medman does in practices today
- 65%
fewer denials at Valley Diabetes & Obesity
- 90%
of eligibility checks fully automated
- $107–149K
annual savings, small specialty practice
- 24 mo
in production
Frequently asked questions
What is the payer ID for UnitedHealthcare?
UnitedHealthcare uses payer ID 87726. It also appears as 00198, 10002, 10122, 10187 in some systems.
Does UnitedHealthcare support real-time eligibility verification?
Yes. UnitedHealthcare accepts real-time 270/271 eligibility transactions, so a check returns plan status and benefit detail in seconds instead of the 10–15 minutes a portal login takes.
How long does a UnitedHealthcare eligibility check take?
A portal check takes 10–15 minutes of staff time per patient. An automated real-time check returns in seconds and can run for an entire day's schedule overnight.
Does UnitedHealthcare return the primary care provider on an eligibility check?
Yes. UnitedHealthcare's 271 response includes the member's assigned primary care provider and any provider-network restrictions, so you can confirm the patient is in-network before the visit rather than after the denial.
Run your first UnitedHealthcare eligibility check
From $0.50 per check, pay-as-you-go. No annual contract, no implementation project.
Billing more than UnitedHealthcare? — upload it and see which of your payers run automatically.