UnitedHealthcare's mobile app Health4Me now offers several new features including a secure electronic bill-payment service that enables UnitedHealthcare plan participants to pay their medical bills and manage their health care claims and related expenses all from their smartphone, according to a press release.

The mobile bill-payment service is available to more than 13 million UnitedHealthcare plan participants nationwide; anyone can access a guest version of Health4Me to identify local health care providers and comparison shop for health care based on quality and cost.

New Health4Me features for UnitedHealthcare plan participants include:

• enabling consumers to pay their medical bills with their credit card, debit card, health savings account or bank account;
• helping consumers manage and understand their claims, and monitor medical expenses for tax reporting;
• tracking their physical activity, including wirelessly connecting to a Fitbit device; and
• streaming content from UHC.TV, an Internet TV channel with health and wellness information.

UnitedHealthcare said it is the only national health plan to offer participants payment capabilities that are integrated with claims and benefits information. 

"Health4Me is a valuable resource that helps me better understand my health benefits and improve my overall well-being," said Kristina Barbuto, a Health4Me user in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. "The navigation is easy and streamlined, making it simple for me to learn more about my treatment options and costs."

The payment feature, designed in collaboration with InstaMed, a health care payments network company, has previously been available online via UnitedHealthcare's plan participant portal, www.myuhc.com. The mobile and online service, known as myClaims Manager, enables people to manage their claims and pay medical bills electronically by entering their credit card, debit card or bank account information, adding convenience for consumers while helping health care providers get paid faster and easier, according to the announcement.