Your health.
Learn about enhancements and changes to our medical plans for next year.
Say hello to Accolade
Meritain Health replaces UnitedHealthcare (UHC)
Your 2023 medical plan options
2023 medical plan contributions
Say hello to Accolade, your new personal health care assistant.
PayPal is introducing a new health care navigation and advocacy service: Accolade.
Accolade Health Assistants will work with you to help you understand your benefit plan options, schedule appointments, resolve claim issues, assist with prescriptions, and navigate your PayPal benefits. With Accolade, you also have access to virtual health care providers and expert medical opinion services.
View all your benefits in one place with the Accolade member portal and mobile app. Have a question? You can easily message a Health Assistant right from the member portal or mobile app. Personalized health and benefits guidance from your Accolade Health Assistant is completely confidential and free to use. Accolade doesn’t change your medical benefits; it makes them better.
Starting January 1, 2023, the Accolade full suite of services begins
Accolade will be your first place to turn to whenever you have a health benefits question, big or small. Your Accolade Health Assistant will take the time to get to know you, understand your needs, and provide support with your PayPal benefits.
Starting January 1, 2023, your Health Assistant can help with questions like:
- Can you help me find a doctor that meets my needs?
- I need help scheduling an appointment.
- Is there a more affordable medication?
- I was just diagnosed with a condition. What’s next?
- Can you help me prepare for my next doctor’s visit?
- I don’t understand my medical bill and Explanation of Benefits (EOB).
Your Health Assistant can even connect you to a nurse who can help you understand symptoms, learn about a condition, or explore treatment options. This service is completely confidential and provided at no cost to you.
Virtual care through Accolade Care
You’ll have access to Accolade Care, allowing you to see doctors and therapists by phone or computer — day or night. Get support for urgent care needs, including the flu, a sore throat, or an infection, or virtually see the same doctor or therapist for ongoing care needs, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Virtual care can be used for many of the same reasons you would visit a doctor in person, such as for prescriptions, mental health, or sleep problems.
Your cost for virtual care services is based on your medical plan’s coverage for office visits.
Note: Accolade Care is not available to Kaiser medical plan members or to those who waived medical coverage.
Expert medical opinion through 2nd.MD
All PayPal employees will have access to 2nd.MD, Accolade’s expert medical opinion service (2nd.MD replaces the current Teladoc expert medical opinion program). If you’re ever feeling unsure about a diagnosis or treatment plan, Accolade will arrange for you to speak with a leading specialist at no cost.
Activate your Accolade account
The Accolade member portal and mobile app puts everything in one place. Visit member.accolade.com, or download the Accolade mobile app on the App Store or Google Play, to activate your account today. You can call or message your Health Assistant or nurse directly from the mobile app.
Meritain Health, an Aetna company, replaces UnitedHealthcare (UHC).
We regularly evaluate our plans and providers to ensure we continue to offer comprehensive, affordable health care coverage. As we compared the UHC and Aetna provider networks, we found that Aetna had a stronger network presence where our employees are located, providing you with more options. As a result, starting January 1, 2023, all PPO and CDHP plan participants will be covered under Meritain Health, an Aetna company, in the Aetna provider network.
Be sure to confirm that your providers are in the Meritain/Aetna network for 2023. Contact your provider directly and ask them if they’re participating in the Aetna Choice POS II network or contact Accolade to help you. If your physician is not in-network with your 2023 Meritain plan, request that your provider be added to the network. Simply download the Accolade mobile app on the App Store or Google Play, activate your account, then complete the provider nomination form. PayPal has asked Aetna to recruit providers who were in the UHC network, but not currently in the Aetna network. Your request will help Aetna prioritize their recruiting efforts.
Note: This process can take up to 3-6 months to be completed as it relies on the contractual agreements between the provider and insurer. In addition to completing the form, encourage your provider to make contracting with Aetna a priority.
Additional questions about provider search? Call Accolade at 866-406-1338 or message your Health Assistant through the member portal or mobile app.
Transition of care
We know transitioning to a new health plan can be a big change. Transition of care provides new Meritain members the option to request extended coverage from your current provider at in-network rates for a limited time due to a specific medical condition until the transfer to an in-network provider can be arranged. While over 99% of UHC providers are in the Aetna network, transition of care support is available through Accolade.
If you have questions about what services require precertification, or transitioning your care in 2023, call Accolade at 866-406-1338 or message your Health Assistant. Your Accolade Health Assistant is always your first line of support for any health care questions. See below for an update on your member ID card as a result of this carrier change.
Your 2023 medical plan options.
With Accolade and Meritain Health, you’ll receive similar health benefits to UHC, with the added bonus of the Accolade health care navigation and advocacy service. Review the Meritain Health Summary Plan Description (SPD) documents for plan coverage details. Fertility benefits will continue to be offered through Progyny for Meritain Health members.
Plan name change
PayPal will continue to offer two national medical plan options:
- Meritain Copay Plan (formerly the $300 Deductible plan)
- Meritain Consumer Directed Health Plan (CDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA)
If you live in California you’ll still have access to the Kaiser HMO medical plan.
Deductible and out-of-pocket limit updates
For the new Meritain Copay Plan, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums will change, as illustrated in the chart below. The Meritain CDHP with HSA plan deductible and out-of-pocket limits will remain the same.
In-Network
In-Network
$1,200 Family
$3,000 Family
$6,000 Family
$7,000 Family
* Formerly the $300 Deductible Plan
View the Meritain Health Plan Comparison Chart to view in-network coverage levels. Review the medical plan summaries of benefits and coverage (SBCs) to compare in- and out-of-network costs, and learn more about terms to know to better understand your medical plan.
2023 medical plan contributions.
As the cost of health care continues to rise, PayPal continues to pay a majority of the costs of employee health care and has fully absorbed cost increases for the past two years. For 2023, medical plan contributions will increase modestly for some employees, while dental and vision contributions will remain the same as they are today. We continue to aggressively negotiate costs, which helps to mitigate these increases resulting from national health care inflation.
How much you pay for coverage depends on the coverage tier you select and whether you’re in Grades 15–19, Grades 21–24, or Grades 25+.
- Grades 15–19: No changes to current premiums
- Grades 21–24: Premium increase
- Grades 25 and above: Premium increase
There will be no changes to the dental and vision contributions.
Medical plan ID cards
If you enroll in one of the Meritain (Aetna network) medical plans, you’ll receive a new medical card with the information you’ll need to access your benefits, including CVS contact information. You will also receive a CVS Caremark ID card. Refer to your CVS Caremark ID card for your pharmacy ID number. ID cards are scheduled to be sent after the Annual Enrollment period ends and should arrive at your home address by the end of December. Starting January 1, 2023, digital cards will be available in the Accolade member portal and mobile app. Call your Accolade Health Assistant at 866-406-1338 for support.
An example of your new ID card is below.
CVS MinuteClinic services
With the new medical plan options, you’ll have access to all covered CVS MinuteClinic services at no or low cost. CVS MinuteClinic is a walk-in clinic inside select CVS Pharmacy® and Target stores and is the largest provider of retail health care in the United States — with over 1,100 locations in 33 states and the District of Columbia. MinuteClinics offer both walk-in and scheduled appointment options. MinuteClinic health care providers can treat a variety of illnesses, injuries, and conditions. They can also write prescriptions, when medically appropriate.