February 2026 Top of Mind

Do you work with D-SNP members?

All providers who work with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan/Optum Behavioral Health members eligible for BOTH Medicare and Medicaid – a program known as a Dual-Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) – must complete Model of Care Training this year.

Why D-SNP training is required

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandates that all special needs plans (SNPs) provide annual Model of Care training for both network and out-of-network providers who provide services to D-SNP members. This is to ensure you are equipped to meet the unique, complex medical and social needs of SNP members, who are often economically disadvantaged and medically underserved. We encourage you to complete the training prior to engaging with SNP members.

Note: If you only work with members covered by UnitedHealthcare commercial plans, you do not have to take the Model of Care training.

You may need to complete several trainings

There is no universal Model of Care training because care management processes vary across insurers. This means if you provide services to D-SNP members covered by different insurance plans, you may be asked to complete annual training by other Medicare insurers. Most courses take just 10-15 minutes to complete.

What you need to do before Dec. 31, 2026

1. Review the list of trainings from UnitedHealthcare and other affiliated insurance plans. Currently, training for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan/Optum Behavioral Health, Mass General Brigham (MGB), Medica and Ultimate Health Plans are available.

   Plan to check the Training webpage several times throughout the year, as Model of Care trainings from other plans will be posted when they are available. This includes Alignment Health, Afterwood Health, Connecticare and Jefferson Health Plan.

2. Take the applicable training course(s). Be sure to complete the attestation instructions so that there is record of you completing this training. Attestations are reported monthly, as CMS may request a copy.

Questions?

Call Provider Services at 1-877-614-0484, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

You can also learn more about the CMS Model of Care training requirement by reading the SNP Model of Care Training FAQs.