Customer Help
General Overview
What is ProtectWell?
ProtectWell™ uses decades of health expertise to offer simple symptom checking and connection to resources that can help mitigate the spread of infectious disease.
With ProtectWell you can:
- Self report within seconds any COVID-19-related exposure and/or symptoms you are experiencing and receive a “Cleared” or “Stay at Home” status.
- Share your status with participating organizations you add.
- Access CDC and other infectious disease-related resources and recommended care options.
- Rely on trusted CDC guidance, decades of health expertise and epidemiologists closely monitoring the evolving COVID-19 environment and changing protocols so you don’t have to.
- Benefit from one of the few “quarantine management” systems to give you guidance on how long you or, if you’re an employer, your employees, should stay home based on self-reported symptoms and/or exposure.
- Receive free access in 2021 to the application (iOS, Android) and, if you’re an employer, return to worksite guidance materials and free access to QR Code Scanner – ProtectWell.
How much does ProtectWell cost?
ProtectWell will remain free through 2021 as part of UnitedHealth Group’s commitment to fighting infectious disease. There will be no start up or maintenance fees associated with ProtectWell.
How effective is symptom screening?
Symptom screening, when combined with other reasonable safeguards, such as social distancing, wearing a mask, washing hands, disinfecting surfaces and checking temperature, can decrease infection risk by up to 75%1. We recommend that in addition to using ProtectWell to screen symptoms, organizations implement additional safeguards in their business and community.
1People with Certain Medical Conditions,” Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2020
What are the ProtectWell™ screening questions based on?
The screening questions are based on federal guidelines for COVID-19 screening, established by the CDC. We use the CDC’s screening protocol as a foundation and update it as new symptoms are identified or protocols evolve.
How do I get ProtectWell?
For individuals, ProtectWell can be downloaded from the Apple Store (iOS users) or the Google Play Store` (Android users). The app is free to use, and you can register yourself using your email.
Employers and higher education schools can visit www.weprotectwell.com/get-started to register your organization. Once your organization account is created, you can visit the Admin Hub to view your Organization Code that can be sent to your employees or higher education students. Your employees or higher education students will then download ProtectWell, setup an account, and enter in the code you provided to connect them to your organization.
Do you do contact tracing?
We do not incorporate contact tracing at this time. We are continually evaluating technologies and options for improving ProtectWell and to contribute to the fight against COVID-19 and infectious disease. The QR Code Scanner – ProtectWell™ app is used to scan someone’s QR codes on their ProtectWell app upon entry of an organization, and keeps a log of who was scanned and what date/time.
Are you able to connect people to medical care where needed?
We are always monitoring ways to improve our simple, yet impactful solution for the overall health of your community. We have pilot groups underway to provide information regarding care resources, but this is not a widely available feature at this time. Information ProtectWell provides is not a medical device and does not replace the need for you to consult with your doctor about any health concerns you may have.
Do you provide medical advice?
ProtectWell does not provide medical advice nor does it replace any medical advice previously given to you or your employees. Employers are solely responsible for seeking independent advice and determining what their return-to-work policies should be; individuals should consult with their doctor about any health concerns, including regarding self-reported symptoms, they may have.
Who can use ProtectWell? Do you have to be an existing client of UnitedHealthcare or Optum?
You do not have to be an existing UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare or Optum client to use ProtectWell. ProtectWell can be used by any organization in the United States with U.S. employees or higher education students who are age 13 or older and who are in the United States.
Can schools use ProtectWell?
Higher education schools can use ProtectWell for students and staff who are age 13 or older and who are in the United States. Elementary and secondary schools can use ProtectWell with their U.S. employees/staff but cannot use with their students.
Is ProtectWell available outside of the U.S?
ProtectWell is not available outside of the United States. In some cases, if you live outside of the United States but travel to the U.S. for work, you can use ProtectWell while in the United States. ProtectWell works when connected to U.S. Internet or cell service.
Mobile App Technical Support
Login Issues
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Error: Account does not exist
If you are a first-time user of ProtectWell and you receive this error, please navigate back to the ProtectWell sign in page and select “Register”
If you are an existing user of ProtectWell and you receive this error, please ensure your email is entered in a case sensitive manner. Should you continue to receive this error after multiple attempts, navigate to the bottom of this page and log a ticket with our support staff. -
Your Password is Incorrect
Please be aware that our password entry field is case sensitive. If you remain unable to enter your password, please utilize the “forgot your password?” link at the bottom of the screen in order to reset your account. - I didn't receive my email verification code Please attempt to resend the verification code via the ProtectWell mobile app and check your email spam folder. If you remain unsuccessful, navigate to the bottom of this page and log a ticket and one of our support representatives will respond shortly.
- I didn't receive my phone verification code Please attempt to resend the verification code via the ProtectWell mobile app. If you remain unsuccessful, navigate to the bottom of this page and log a ticket and one of our support representatives will respond shortly.
- Why does ProtectWell require a mobile authentication for every app log in? If you enable Biometric authentication. (Face ID and Touch ID) it will not prompt you for mobile verification every day. We use the phone verification for security purposes to keep your data safe and secure and being able to recover your password in the event you need to reset.
How do I associate with my organization?
Your employer would have provided the organization code to you. If you are unable to find it, please log a ticket at the bottom of the page using the Contact Us form. We can then connect you with your organization’s ProtectWell Administrator who can provide you with the organization code.
Once you have the organization code please log into the ProtectWell mobile app, navigate to the home screen and add your organization code.
How do I set my Daily Reminder?
- Please ensure you have enabled notifications on your mobile device for ProtectWell.
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Navigate to the settings section of the ProtectWell app and select “Set Daily Reminder” Then toggle on “allow reminders” and set your desired reminder time.
Instructions for enabling notifications on your mobile device:
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Apple:
- Open the settings app on your iPhone
- Silent Notifications
- Scroll down and select ProtectWell
- Ensure "allow notifications" is toggled on
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Android:
- Open the settings app on your Android device
- Select Notifications
- Scroll down to ProtectWell and ensure the button is toggled on
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Apple:
Reporting for Organizations
How do I know if my employees are cleared?
ProtectWell collects only the minimum data necessary to provide its services. ProtectWell collects a response to the simple question and shares with the organization whether their employee or student is “cleared” or “not cleared” to return to the workplace or campus and does not further distribute the symptom data.
Who can see available reporting and how is it shared?
Reporting is available to the designated administrator of your organization via a platform called the Admin Hub. But your employees must consent to share their data with others, including an affiliated employer, or with other sponsors, projects and ProtectWell participating businesses/ organizations, as described in the ProtectWell Privacy Policy.
How many people can be an Admin?
More than one Admin is possible.
As an employer, am I alerted when an employee is not cleared or tests positive for COVID? How does that alert come through?
There are no alerts at this time for those not cleared for work. This information is available through a CSV extract or by sorting/filtering the list of employees in the Admin Hub.
Data and Privacy
How are you protecting my data?
ProtectWell collects only the minimum data necessary to provide its services. ProtectWell collects your responses (yes/no) to whether you have certain COVID-19 related symptoms and, if subscribed by the organization, the results of a COVID-19 test scheduled or reported through the ProtectWell platform. Based on the response to COVID-19 symptom questions and CDC guidelines (and, where integrated testing is subscribed for, COVID-19 test results), ProtectWell shares with the organization whether the employee or student should not return to the workplace or campus (green = cleared; red = not cleared).
All Personally Identifiable Information (PII) collected from an individual is the confidential information of the individual and not the employer (with the exception for certain employer specific data, such as employee identification number, that the individual may input when choosing to “associate” with employer in the App). ProtectWell may use PII supplied by the individual, per the individual’s consent, to provide the service to other sponsors; including electing to share attestation results to participating ProtectWell businesses. PII supplied by employer directly to ProtectWell (not collected from the end user) remains employer confidential information.
Are you HIPAA compliant?
ProtectWell is not subject to HIPAA because it is not a provider or health plan covered entity under that law, nor does it act as a business associate to providers or health plans. Therefore, data disclosed to ProtectWell is not protected by HIPAA.
What if I’m not affiliated with an organization and use ProtectWell on my own – where does my data go?
This information is stored to ensure your experience is accurate based on past symptom checker responses but will only be shared with organizations you chose to affiliate with and vendors helping to provide the service and any successor to our business. In addition, your data may be de-identified and leveraged for research purposes in as described in the privacy policy.
Configuration
Can I resubmit symptoms throughout the day if I begin to have symptoms? Or if I test negative for COVID?
You can resubmit symptoms at any time but will first need to attest to meeting the requirements to resubmit (onset of symptoms, etc.). This attestation will be made available to your employer.
Is ProtectWell available in Spanish?
ProtectWell is not available in Spanish at this time.
Can the symptom-screening question be configured?
The question ProtectWell uses to screen for symptoms uses CDC guidance and is clinically developed by our medical experts so you can take comfort in allowing expert guidance screen your employees and cannot be altered. However, outcome messages can be configured and includes rich text so you can include an email address, phone number or other messages that helps direct your employees to specific actions you'd like them to take. Any further protocols you administer such as - state-specific questions or travel questions - can be emphasized in your outcome messages.
Can I set up reminders on behalf of my employees or students?
Your employees or students can turn on notifications to be reminded each day to check in with ProtectWell, but employers cannot send the reminders. When notifications are turned on, you will be reminded at the same time every day to check into ProtectWell.