uhc quest travel

Hmm … it looks like your browser is out of date.

Let’s update your browser so you can enjoy a faster, more secure site experience.  

• 한국어 (Korean)
• 繁体中文 (Traditional Chinese)
• Ilocano (Ilocano)
• Español (Spanish)
• Tagalog (Tagalog)
• Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

Main navigation

• Search Search
• For Members (Opens in a new tab)

IMPORTANT! Are you enrolled in Med-QUEST?

Has your contact information changed in the past two years? Please update your contact information with us so you can stay enrolled. Call us toll-free at 1-888-980-8728 or log in to your account here  to make the change. Mahalo!

Learn More About Hawai'i's Medicaid Plan Before Enrolling

Visit Hawai'i's Home Page .

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan QUEST Integration Program

• Share this page by email
• Print this page

Share this page

All fields required

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan QUEST Integration is a managed care plan offered through Hawai‘i’s Department of Human Service Med-QUEST. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan is a health plan for members who are eligible for State-assisted Medicaid benefits. That includes pregnant women, children, adults, seniors, those who have special needs, and families. With UnitedHealthcare Community Plan QUEST Integration, you are on a better path to your health care.

Our primary goal is to help you stay healthy and independent. The UnitedHealthcare Community Plan QUEST Integration plan offers medical and behavioral health services including, vision, drug, and supplies. Call UnitedHealthcare Community Plan QUEST Integration today to find out more about how you can get skilled guidance and service coordination. 

Our local staff will work with you to coordinate your services and specific needs. We will help guide you through the complex health care system and work with your doctors and family members to help you meet your health-related goals.  UnitedHealthcare Community Plan is here for you, every step of the way.

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan has been doing care management for a long time.   Trust your family’s health with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan.

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as: written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats). If you need these services, contact us toll-free at 1-888-980-8728 (TTY: 711).   We will provide you with the requested information, at no cost to you within five (5) business days.

This plan is available in the following counties:

Hawaii , Honolulu , Kalawao , Kauai , and Maui .

Flyout Modal

How you qualify., unitedhealthcare community plan - quest integration program.

The QUEST Integration program is a Hawai‘i Medicaid managed care program administered by the State of Hawai‘i, Department of Human Services, Med-QUEST Division. Eligibility for this program is determined by the State of Hawai‘i. Contact State of Hawai‘i Department of Human Services Med-QUEST Division to apply for Medicaid or verify your eligibility. 

Call toll-free   1-800-316-8005    TTY: Toll-free   1-800-603-1201  for hearing impaired

Visit  www.mybenefits.hawaii.gov  to enroll and track your eligibility online. 

You have chosen to enroll in

Before you get started, let's see if this plan is available in your ZIP code.

All Fields Required

Enter a 5-digit ZIP code.

This plan is not currently available in the ZIP code entered.

Dental Value-Added Services Benefit Change

PDF 135.51KB - Last Updated: 10/03/2022

Find providers and coverage for this plan.

Search for doctors, hospitals and specialists.

Find medications covered by this plan.

Find a pharmacy near you.

Benefits & Features

With UnitedHealthcare Community Plan QUEST Integration you can get:

Access to care

• A Primary Care Provider (PCP) that you can choose from in our large list of providers. Here is the link to help you find one in your area
• Referral specialty care from a Specialist Provider
• Scheduled rides to health-related appointments
• 24-hour/7 day Nurse HotlineSM and on-line Nurse Chat to talk to a nurse any time you have a question
• Language interpreter services (including Sign language)

Benefits to help you stay healthy

No cost for any services provided under your benefit plan

• Prescription drug coverage
• Vision and eyewear coverage
• Help with behavioral health issues such as mental, alcohol, or substance abuse
• Preventive health care
• Vaccines (such as for flu and other illnesses)
• Child immunizations
• Health education classes
• Quarterly newsletters

Rural Exceptions

In areas in which there is only one QUEST Integration health plan, members have the freedom to:

• Choose from at least two (2) PCPs
• The service or type of provider (in terms of training, experience, and specialty) is not available within the health plan’s provider network;
• The provider is not part of the health plan’s provider network but is the main source of a service to the member. We will work with the provider to participate in our provider network. If the provider chooses not to join our provider network, or does not meet the necessary qualifications to be part of the provider network, we will transition the member to an in-network provider within sixty (60) days. If the provider is not appropriately licensed or is sanctioned, we will transition the member to another provider immediately;
• The only provider in-network and available to the member does not, because of moral or religious objections, provide the services the member seeks, or all related services are not available;
• The member’s PCP determines that the member needs related services that would be subject the member to unnecessary risk if received separately and not all of the related services are available within the health plan’s provider network; and
• The State determines that other circumstances warrant out-of-network treatment.
• View the EVV Self-Direct User Guide video here. (Opens in a New Tab)

Choice of Doctor

Each member can choose a primary care provider (PCP). Use the Doctor Lookup tool to see if your doctor is in our network.

Your PCP is your main doctor for:

• Preventive care.
• Treatment if you are sick or injured.
• Referrals to specialists for certain conditions.

For members who don’t have a doctor or whose doctor is not in our network, we can help find a new one close by.

Member Services

Sometimes you might need a little help understanding your health care options. With us, you have someone you can call. We'll answer your questions simply and completely.

We can also help you find:

• Home care providers.
• Specialists.
• Pharmacies.
• Hospitals or other health facilities.
• Local resources.

There is no cost for covered prescriptions. We make getting your child's medicine easy. We'll provide a list of covered medicines if you have questions about what prescriptions are covered.

You can fill the prescriptions at local pharmacies in the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan network.

Hospitalization

This plan pays for all expenses related to a hospital stay, so you can rest and heal.

Hospitalization coverage includes:

• Nursing care.
• Room and board.
• Supplies and equipment.
• Treatment and therapies.
• Diagnostic tests and exams.

And after you leave the hospital, you are not alone. We make sure you get follow-up care to continue healing at home.

Healthy First Steps®

Healthy First Steps is a free online wellness program for pregnant women and moms who have given birth within the last 15 months. This program offers rewards for obtaining your prenatal, postpartum and child’s well-baby care (up to 15 months of age). This program can help keep track of your appointments. You can also earn as many as 8 rewards of your choosing.  Rewards include a diaper bag or Old Navy gift card, a nursing cover or teething rattle, a first aid kit or tabletop toy, a childproofing kit or puzzles and books among other rewards to support your well-being and your child/children’s development. Sign up for Healthy First Steps at UHCHealthyFirstSteps.com   and start earning rewards.

Please note: rewards options may be subject to change and we will notify you in the future through various methods (i.e., Member Handbook, website, HealthTalk (Member Newsletter) or written communication by mail or post card).

Diabetic Support

If you have diabetes, we'll make life a little easier for you. You'll get medicine, supplies and education to help you reach and stay your best. 

Durable Medical Equipment

Some members may need extra support to live safely at home.

Our plan covers medical equipment ordered by your doctor or case manager. This can include supplies like:

• Oxygen tanks.
• Hospital beds.
• Wheelchairs or walkers.

Member Rewards

An ounce of prevention can be worth a pound of cure. It can also be worth great rewards.

You may be able to earn a gift for you or your child by doing things like:

• Completing a well-child exam or a postpartum visit

Hearing Care

Trouble hearing can affect your everyday life in many ways. Our plan includes services and support to help protect your hearing.

• Exams, therapy and tests.
• Hearing aids and batteries.

In-Home Care

After surgery or a serious illness, you may need extra help with day-to-day tasks like cleaning, cooking or dressing. You may even need an in-home medical visit to check on how well you are healing. With approval, our plan covers:

• An in-home medical visit.
• Medical equipment like hospital beds, walkers or wheelchairs.
• Disposable medical supplies.
• Help with personal care or housekeeping.

Interpreters

Your doctor and you need to understand each other. Not speaking English well makes this difficult. We can arrange for a medical interpreter to be at your appointments.

We also have people in member services who speak more than one language. Chances are, we have someone who speaks your language. Interpreter Services also includes sign language interpretation or help.

Kidney Disease Care

Kidney disease is a serious medical condition. After the kidneys stop working, regular treatments (called renal dialysis) or an organ transplant are necessary. Dialysis uses a machine to clean the blood, just like healthy kidneys do.

Our plan includes:

• Medications.
• Health education and support.
• Organ Transplant if needed (We will coordinate benefits with Medicare and the State of Hawai’i Tissue and Transplant program (SHOTT))

Lab and X-rays

Knowing what's wrong and finding it early can make all the difference. Our plan covers:

• Labs and testing.
• X-rays, scans and other imaging.

We’ll help you get the information needed to improve your health or be at your best.

Language Help

We can give you member materials in a language and/or in a written format that is easier for you to understand. We make all written information for Members available in languages that comply with Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. If you need information in a language other than English (i.e., Ilocano, Vietnamese, Chinese (traditional), Korean, etc.), call Member Services. You can also get information in large print, braille or audio tapes. We can send you the information in another language within seven (7) days of the request. If the request is received after normal business hours, we will send you the information within seven (7) days of the next business day following the request. These services and help are available to current and potential members at no cost.

Examples of written materials include but are not limited to:

• Provider Directory
• Member Handbook
• Appeals and Grievance Notices
• Adverse Benefit Determination Notices
• Network Provider Termination Notices to Members

Member Advocates

We're looking out for you. Member advocates can help solve problems, provide training and education, and work on issues that concern members.

• Provide information about your plan.
• Teach you to get the care you need.
• Help with doctor issues or complaints.

Mental Health

Mental health is as important as physical health. That's why we have coverage for both.

This includes:

• Behavioral therapy.
• Substance abuse treatment.

Medical questions and situations can come at inconvenient times. When you have questions about your health, you can call a nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our nurses will:

• Listen to the symptoms.
• Help with self-care.
• Advise you about getting care at a doctor visit or an urgent care center.
• Help you know when to go to the emergency room.

Nurse Visits

Sometimes continued care is needed after leaving the hospital or urgent care. For example, after a serious illness, surgery or injury. In these cases, a nurse will make home visits to:

• Provide medical care.
• Answer any questions and concerns.

Nutrition Coaching

Healthy eating goes a long way to helping you stay at your best. A nutritionist can meet with you to review your eating habits and food choices.

You'll come away with new ideas for:

• Making good choices for quick meals and snacks.
• Preparing healthy meals on a budget.

Outpatient Services

Knowing what's wrong and finding it early can make all the difference.

Our plan covers:

We'll help you get the information needed to help improve your health or be your best.

Personal Care

Sometimes the basics are hard to do yourself after an illness or injury. If needed, we provide someone to help with:

• Running errands.

Prenatal Visits

A pregnancy is a journey that’s better with the help of friends, family and a pregnancy doctor, or OB/GYN.

All recommended prenatal clinical visits and tests are covered by our plan.

At these visits, the clinic will:

• Make sure both mom and baby are healthy.
• Explain what to expect at each stage of your pregnancy.
• Answer questions.

Quitting Tobacco

Most people know the bad health effects of smoking. And they know they need to quit. We support our members while they quit, with coaches and supplies. The only thing they won’t get from us is a lecture.

Rehabilitation Care

After a serious illness, surgery or injury you may need extra nursing and therapy. If needed, our plan covers short stays in a rehabilitation center where you can heal. Included are:

• Nursing home services.
• 24-hour nursing care.
• Help with activities of daily living.
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Respite Care

Do you have family members or friends who care for you at home?

If so, we want to support their hard work too. That's why we provide respite care to give your caregivers a rest. Respite care offers caregivers time away from their loved one who is ill or has special care needs.

Shots and Vaccines

Routine shots help protect you from illness.

So, our plan covers:

• Recommended shots and vaccines.
• Influenza, Pneumococcal, Diphtheria and Tetanus shots

Social Services

Many communities offer additional benefits for children in this plan. Social Services helps members connect to these local programs and services, such as:

• WIC and financial support.
• School services.
• Respite care.

Text4baby can help new and expecting mothers keep themselves and their babies healthy.

You'll get text messages throughout your pregnancy and your baby's first year. Each text contains health and safety tips for topics like:

• Prenatal care.
• Labor and delivery.
• Breastfeeding.
• Safe sleep.
• Car seat safety.

So you and your baby can make a great start on life.

To sign up, visit UHCHealthyFirstSteps.com

Therapy Services (Habilitation Services)

Physical, occupational and speech therapy can help you recover from a serious injury or illness, or simply reach your full potential.

Our plan provides:

• Occupational therapy.
• Physical therapy.
• Speech therapy.

Unlimited Doctor Visits

There may be times when your or a family member’s health requires repeated visits to a primary care provider (PCP). Our plan does not limit the number of times you can see your PCP. This way you get care need when you need it. And your doctor can see how your health is progressing.

Urgent Care

You may have an injury or sudden illness that is not life-threatening but needs immediate attention. So our plan covers care at:

• Urgent care centers.
• Medical aid units.
• Other walk-in clinics.

Well Visits

These visits can catch health problems early, so they can be treated.

Preventive services :

• Checkups for adults and children.
• Well-baby care.
• Care for women expecting a baby.
• Routine shots and tests.
• Mammograms.

Member Resources

Celebrate Grandparents with Elmo

UnitedHealthcare Community & State and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street® , are partnering to support families, health care providers and communities as they help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger and kinder. UnitedHealthcare and Sesame Workshop's Growing Every Day, Every Way program educates families on developmental milestones, the importance of making nutritious food choices and how to incorporate physical activity to establish lifelong healthy habits.

To celebrate the important role grandparents play in our families, experts and muppets from Sesame Street® have created a virtual webinar offering ideas for healthy activities families can do in person, or apart. The webinar will provide families and grandparents with resources to help them access affordable and nutritious food, maximize their health benefits and offer easy ways families can incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. You and your family are invited to join in on the fun – including dancing along with Elmo – at  www.grandparentsday.com .

Getting Started

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawai‘i Getting Started Presentation

Notice on Annual Member Surveys and Notices

PDF 76.60KB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

Health Plan Leadership Structure

PDF 42.98KB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

Information on Provider Compensation Incentive Programs for Performance

PDF 41.85KB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

Procedures We Use to Control Services and Cost

PDF 41.76KB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

Med-QUEST Division Telehealth

Med-quest division telehealth brochure.

PDF 786.75KB - Last Updated: 04/13/2022

Member handbook

Advance directives, advance directives policy.

PDF 198.52KB - Last Updated: 12/05/2022

Appeals and Grievances

Appeals and grievances information.

PDF 137.35KB - Last Updated: 08/25/2021

Number & Outcomes of Appeals & Grievances by Members

PDF 133.48KB - Last Updated: 08/25/2021

Member Newsletters 2016 - Current

PDF 2.48MB - Last Updated: 04/19/2023

PDF 3.48MB - Last Updated: 04/19/2023

PDF 1.99MB - Last Updated: 04/19/2023

PDF 2.68MB - Last Updated: 04/19/2023

PDF 2.93MB - Last Updated: 04/19/2023

PDF 1.35MB - Last Updated: 12/05/2022

PDF 1.42MB - Last Updated: 12/05/2022

PDF 1.06MB - Last Updated: 12/05/2022

PDF 1.54MB - Last Updated: 12/05/2022

PDF 769.87KB - Last Updated: 12/05/2022

PDF 1.30MB - Last Updated: 07/22/2022

PDF 1.39MB - Last Updated: 07/22/2022

PDF 888.04KB - Last Updated: 07/22/2022

PDF 1.48MB - Last Updated: 07/22/2022

PDF 996.89KB - Last Updated: 07/22/2022

PDF 1.66MB - Last Updated: 03/28/2022

PDF 1.73MB - Last Updated: 03/28/2022

PDF 1.40MB - Last Updated: 03/28/2022

PDF 1.87MB - Last Updated: 03/28/2022

PDF 1.64MB - Last Updated: 03/28/2022

PDF 2.36MB - Last Updated: 01/04/2022

PDF 2.38MB - Last Updated: 01/04/2022

PDF 731.49KB - Last Updated: 01/04/2022

PDF 2.50MB - Last Updated: 01/04/2022

PDF 798.60KB - Last Updated: 01/04/2022

PDF 1.01MB - Last Updated: 10/14/2021

PDF 1.05MB - Last Updated: 10/14/2021

PDF 990.35KB - Last Updated: 10/14/2021

PDF 1.16MB - Last Updated: 10/14/2021

PDF 883.28KB - Last Updated: 10/14/2021

PDF 3.12MB - Last Updated: 08/24/2021

PDF 3.23MB - Last Updated: 08/24/2021

PDF 1.71MB - Last Updated: 08/24/2021

PDF 3.36MB - Last Updated: 08/24/2021

PDF 3.02MB - Last Updated: 08/24/2021

PDF 6.50MB - Last Updated: 03/18/2021

PDF 6.58MB - Last Updated: 03/18/2021

PDF 1.64MB - Last Updated: 03/18/2021

PDF 6.72MB - Last Updated: 03/18/2021

PDF 1.92MB - Last Updated: 03/18/2021

PDF 1.79MB - Last Updated: 01/05/2021

PDF 1.83MB - Last Updated: 01/05/2021

PDF 601.96KB - Last Updated: 01/05/2021

PDF 1.95MB - Last Updated: 01/05/2021

PDF 947.89KB - Last Updated: 01/05/2021

PDF 958.25KB - Last Updated: 12/01/2020

PDF 1.00MB - Last Updated: 12/01/2020

PDF 491.18KB - Last Updated: 12/01/2020

PDF 1.18MB - Last Updated: 12/01/2020

PDF 873.80KB - Last Updated: 12/01/2020

PDF 3.32MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 3.40MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 681.40KB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 3.56MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.15MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.16MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 3.11MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.70MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 3.04MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.68MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.86MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.98MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.85MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.06MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.90MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

Member Newsletters Prior to 2015

PDF 1.43MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 426.60KB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.31MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 6.04MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.61MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 5.23MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.63MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.62MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.55MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 5.24MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 4.81MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.59MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.63MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 808.51KB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 834.74KB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.26MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 2.08MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 832.13KB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.84MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.45MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.78MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 5.18MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 4.09MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 1.77MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

PDF 4.86MB - Last Updated: 11/12/2020

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan QUEST Integration Program

• Frequently asked questions
• Links to health information

Please select your county.

Simple Flying

Quest or explorer: which united airlines card is right for you.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

• United Explorer Card offers standard benefits like free checked bags & priority boarding.
• United Quest Card has a higher annual fee but provides premium benefits & quicker mile accrual.
• United Club Card has a higher annual fee & offers unlimited lounge access, unlike the other two.

The linchpin of United's credit card offerings is the wildly popular United Explorer Card, which routinely ranks high on lists of the best U.S. airline credit cards each year. This card offers the backbone of what everyone would expect from an airline credit card, including free checked bags, priority boarding, and the opportunity to earn miles with each purchase.

What the United Explorer Card lacks, however, is the opportunity to leverage premium benefits like access to complimentary upgrades and the opportunity to build towards elite status for the following year. Furthermore, the Explorer Card lacks high accrual thresholds, as there are relatively limited opportunities to earn bonus miles.

Get all the latest aviation news from Simple Flying!

That is where the United Quest Card comes in, which offers a higher annual fee in exchange for far more premium benefits. The Quest card is ideal for those looking to move up within United's Premier status system and also for those looking to accrue miles at a far quicker rate. Let's take a deeper look at what each of these credit cards has to offer.

The elephant in the room

The United Quest Card and the United Explorer Card are not the airline's most premium products, and their annual fees of $250 and $99 respectively pale in comparison to the United Club Card, which has a hefty annual fee of $525. As one would expect, this fee is because the Club card provides a customer with unlimited access to the United Club lounge.

Therefore, it is important to note that the Quest Card and the Explorer Card, the subjects of comparison here, are not ideal for those in search of lounge access unless they fly business class often enough to have the status that offers unlimited access. Interestingly enough, the Explorer Card offers two one-time passes to the United Club , a benefit that the Quest Card does not come along with.

6 Ways To Access The United Club Lounge

Passengers have several ways to access United's lounges in the US and globally.

Welcome bonuses and reward accrual benefits

Both United Airlines credit cards provide extensive award benefits, with the Quest generally going beyond what is offered by the Explorer Card. One place where one can quickly draw a line of differentiation is with the two cards' respective welcome bonuses , which are as follows:

The extra 10,000 miles offered by the Quest Card are likely nothing to get excited about when one considers an annual fee that is nearly $150 higher, but the 500 PQP boost can be very valuable. As Premier Silver status is offered at 4,000 PQPs, this boost can help get you on your way there quickly.

According to Forbes , the elite status benefits offered by both cards do not just end after the initial welcome boost. Those with the cards can earn 25 PQPs per each $500 spent on the card over the year. An upper limit of 1,000 PQPs is placed on the United Explorer Card and 6,000 PQPs are placed on the United Quest Card.

Lastly, both cards provide generous mileage accrual schedules. As one would expect, the benefits brought by the Quest Card are slightly more extensive. They are as follows:

United Explorer Card

• 3 miles per dollar on United Airlines and partner airline purchases
• 2 miles per dollar on eligible dining purchases
• 2 miles per dollar on select streaming services
• 2 miles per dollar on all travel-related expenses
• 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases

United Quest Card

• 2 miles per dollar on United Airlines and partner airline purchases
• 2 miles per dollar on hotel stays

As we can see here, the key differentiating factor between the two credit cards in terms of reward benefits is the ability to earn more miles on the Quest Card than on the Explorer Card . Furthermore, the elite status benefits offered by the Quest Card are far more extensive.

5 Unique Benefits Of The United Quest Card

One of the best benefits is that TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and NEXUS are paid for.

Flight and travel-related benefits

Both the United Quest Card and the United Explorer Card offer their own set of inflight benefits, with the Quest Card, as expected, going slightly beyond its lower-fee competitor. As previously mentioned, those holding both credit cards are offered free checked bags on all United flights. However, Quest Card holders are offered two free checked bags instead of one.

Furthermore, the airline offers Quest Card holders an extensive number of inflight statement credits, which can pay cardholders back over the year for inflight purchases up to $125. However, the pair of one-time United Club passes offered to Explorer Card holders also offers some value to consider. Those holding Quest Cards can also enter the United complimentary upgrade list, albeit placed behind Club Card holders and Premier status members in the upgrade queue.

At the end of the day, neither of these cards drastically elevates one's inflight experience, as the major premium benefits are mostly reserved for the Club card. Therefore, the major line of differentiation between the two cards is primarily the ability to earn miles faster.

• Airline Loyalty
• North America

• Work & Careers
• Life & Arts

To Run the World — Moscow’s quest for power and parity with the US

• To Run the World — Moscow’s quest for power and parity with the US on x (opens in a new window)
• To Run the World — Moscow’s quest for power and parity with the US on facebook (opens in a new window)
• To Run the World — Moscow’s quest for power and parity with the US on linkedin (opens in a new window)
• To Run the World — Moscow’s quest for power and parity with the US on whatsapp (opens in a new window)

Edward Luce

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

When Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022, he included a complaint about America’s self-regard. “Where does this insolent manner of speaking from the position of your own exceptionalism, infallibility and all-permissiveness come from?” the Russian president asked.

There was nothing new in Putin’s protestation. Throughout the cold war, the Soviets craved recognition from the Americans and were hypersensitive to perceived slights. Putin infamously described the dissolution of the USSR as the “greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century”. By this he meant the end of the Russian imperium, not Soviet communism. If America could not freely give the respect that Russia so yearned for, it would have to be won by force of arms.

As Sergey Radchenko shows in To Run The World , his masterful new history of the cold war, Putin’s psychology is very much in keeping with that of his Soviet predecessors. This psychology includes injured pride and an unquenchable sense of insecurity.

Ironically it was Putin’s decision to open up the Soviet archives over the past decade — an act of radical transparency that reflected Putin’s obsession with Russian history — that enabled Radchenko to reach these conclusions. His move made available a “full-blown deluge” of Soviet documents and personal papers after years in which historians had to make do with a trickle. This gave him access to a stream of consciousness of the USSR’s most senior officials spanning the period from Joseph Stalin to Mikhail Gorbachev.

The years following the Cuba missile crisis were as close as Moscow has come to achieving the respect it believes is its due

The result is a revisionist history of the cold war that downplays ideology as Moscow’s guiding motive. This marks quite a departure from most cold war histories, which pay more attention to that than national character. “Marxist-Leninism itself does not get us very far in understanding Soviet behavior,” Radchenko writes. “It was an ill-fitting cloth that never adequately draped the incongruent outlines of Moscow’s ambitions.”

What were — and are — those ambitions? The simplest answer would be to secure western recognition for Russia’s great power status. In 1944, Stalin got Winston Churchill’s acquiescence to Moscow’s sphere of influence when they scribbled country-by-country percentages for central and eastern Europe on a napkin. Hungary and Yugoslavia were each divided 50:50, while Greece was skewed 90:10 to Britain, and Romania 90:10 to the Soviets.

Their cynical bargain was formalised in the notorious Yalta Conference of 1945. The near-fatal decision by Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor, to station Soviet intermediate nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 was prompted less by war-making plans than by a desire for parity with the US, which stationed missiles at several bases close to the border of the USSR. John F Kennedy defused the crisis by quietly removing US missiles from Turkey. In addition to equal status, Moscow had wanted to throw “our hedgehog in the Americans’ pants”, in the words of one Soviet official.

In spite of the Vietnam war, the 15 years following that near-miss in Cuba were the heyday of east-west détente. This was as close in history as Moscow has come to achieving the respect that it believes is its due. Humanity had entered a bipolar world in which the USSR was one of the poles. Yet this period was all too fleeting.

Khrushchev, whose antics had become an embarrassment, was removed in a Politburo coup in 1964. After a bout of Kremlin machinations, chiefly involving the sidelining of his Politburo rival Aleksei Kosygin, Leonid Brezhnev emerged as the first among equals. Détente survived the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 mainly because Washington wanted Moscow to help extricate it from its quagmire in Vietnam. The Soviets never did. Détente also survived Richard Nixon’s 1972 opening to China, which played heavily on Brezhnev’s paranoia about the threat from the east. Indeed, Nixon’s China move only redoubled Brezhnev’s efforts to pacify the USSR’s western flank by cementing détente.

Fascinatingly, Radchenko reveals that Brezhnev even had a racial motivation for the policy, believing that the European races should stick together. “As President Nixon once said,” Brezhnev recounted, “you can destroy us seven times over, and we can destroy you seven times over. I told him in response that after this happens, the whites will be gone, only the blacks and the yellows will remain.”

Yet détente’s golden age never quite lived up to Moscow’s dreams. Though Henry Kissinger, Nixon’s acrobatic national security adviser, mused about a joint US-Soviet “condominium”, and the superpowers pledged non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs, the USSR could not bring itself to abandon its revolutionary credentials. Soviet adventurism in Angola, the Horn of Africa, Portugal and ultimately in Afghanistan, which it invaded in December 1979, tipped US public opinion against détente.

Radchenko skilfully and vividly depicts a gerontocratic Politburo that wanted nuclear stability without relinquishing their freedom to pick up client states in what was then often called the “third world” (the Soviet bloc being the “second world”). Here again, this was as much a question of Russian self-esteem as Marxist-Leninist ideology. Since the US had client states all over the world, the Soviets should too. But these proved to be highly expensive. As Radchenko points out, Moscow’s backing of Vietnam’s communists almost broke the bank. Hanoi never repaid its debts.

If I have one quibble with Radchenko’s otherwise indispensable book, it is that he underplays the effects of US President Jimmy Carter’s weaponisation of human rights behind the Iron Curtain. (In full disclosure, I am writing a biography of Zbigniew Brzezinski, Carter’s national security adviser, and Kissinger’s great rival.) Kissinger saw the USSR as a permanent fixture on the landscape. Brzezinski saw the USSR’s nationalities and the Warsaw Pact satellite states as its Achilles heel. The latter turned out to be correct.

As Radchenko lays out, the USSR’s demise in 1991 came with a whimper, not a bang, in the guise of its final leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, who became the last general secretary of the Soviet Communist party in 1985.

As an émigré Russian scholar — teaching at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington and at Cardiff University — Radchenko is well placed to describe what has happened since the USSR’s dissolution in 1991. He vividly depicts the “clean-shaven gorillas in Adidas pants” who made their fortunes in the Moscow wild west of the 1990s.

This was also the era of Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin. As one of Radchenko’s colleagues, Mary Elise Sarotte , memorably observed, Yeltsin’s fondness for vodka was deemed a price worth paying: “Yeltsin drunk was better for the United States than most other Russian leaders sober”. But then came Putin. The rest is current affairs.

Radchenko’s conclusion is bleak because it is persuasive. Under Putin, he argues, Russia believes it has another chance via the rubric of multipolarity to destroy the world that the US has made: “With the right combination of chutzpah and good luck, Russia could one day recover its illusive greatness and its insatiable, self-destructive ambition to run the world”. Putin is gambling his country’s future — and other people’s security — on a quest that can never be sated.

To Run The World: The Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power by Sergey Radchenko Cambridge University Press £30, 768 pages

Edward Luce is the FT’s US national editor

Join our online book group on Facebook at FT Books Café and subscribe to our podcast Life & Art wherever you listen

Promoted Content

Follow the topics in this article.

• Books Add to myFT
• Non-Fiction Add to myFT
• History books Add to myFT
• Geopolitics Add to myFT
• Russia Add to myFT

• South Africa
• Czech Republic
• Netherlands
• United Kingdom
• Guest Posts
• Travel Ramblings

Russia: One Week Itinerary

Russia , the largest country in the world has been on my bucketlist for the longest time. This is where the first ‘women only’ tour of Ticking the Bucketlist is headed. We are off tomorrow and would be spending one week in this enchanting land!

Here is what our ‘one week in Russia’ itinerary looks like….

Day 1: Moscow – Izmailovsky Flea Market and ‘Moscow by Night’

We start our trip from Delhi on an Aeroflot flight and reach Moscow at about 0835 in the morning. We head straight to our hotel to stretch our legs and get some shut-eye. We need to charge our batteries for the Russian sojourn. We are staying in the Best Western Vega at the Izmailovsky area, which is very famous for its local flea market. The  Izmailovsky Market is the best place in Moscow for souvenir shopping …dolls, porcelain, jewelry boxes…we will buy them all from here.

Day 2: Moscow – Moscow City Tour and Kremlin Tour

A red building at the Red Square of the Kremlin

Having seen the city’s light the previous night, it is time to see the city’s colours this morning. We will set off on the Moscow City Tour shows us the highlights of city, starting with the Red Square. This is our day to click a 1000 pictures in front of all the monuments that represent Moscow…St Basil’s Cathedral, the Bolshoi theatre, the Olympic Stadium and the Sparrow Hills.

Exploring the Kremlin

Today is also the day to visit and learn more about the most famous monument in Russia. Kremlin, literally means a fort inside a city. Dynasties built on the site, one century after another and the site came to known as the Kremlin in the 14the century. The walled structure of the Kremlin includes palaces and cathedrals… and a historical past!

Later in the evening, we will enjoy the Russian circus that many of us have seen to television ever so often. Acrobats, clowns and animals….its is time to let the little girl in you come out and clap her hands!  

Day 3: Moscow – Metro Stations and Arbat Street followed by the Bolshoi Ballet 

Mosaics on the walls of the metro station

Today, we set out to explore the metro stations of Moscow, each of which is a stellar work of art. Stunning frescos and chandeliers in marble surroundings… it’s a work of art! We will then walk along the Arbat street, which is the city’s only pedestrian street, lined with shops and cafes.

As the night unfolds, I intend to don a classy dress and get set to watch one of the finest shows on earth at the Bolshoi Theatre. I have always been awestruck by the art form and would love to see some of the best performers in the world move gracefully. A performance that is rated as one of the best in the world has to be ticked off my bucketlist!

Day 4: Moscow – Day Tour to Sergiev Posad followed by a crazy bar hopping night!

Sergiev Posad is one the strongest spiritual centres in Russia. Home to stunning churches, Sergiev Posad will give us a flavour of the famous ‘Golden Ring’ of Russia. The tour will take 5-7 hours and we will be back at the hotel in second half.

Exploring Sergiev Posad

This will be our last night in Moscow, and we are not going to leave the city without sampling some fine Russian vodka. So, this night is dedicated to bar hopping and pub crawling. Hope to meet some travellers and make new friends.

Day 5: Saint Petersburg – Sapsan train experience to Saint Petersburg and Matryoshka Doll painting class

Saint Petersburg , our next destination, is at least 700 km away from Moscow… and we will zip zap zoom on the Sapsan (the high speed train) to get there in about four hours! The high speed trains are engineering marvels, worth experiencing and we ride this iron horse in the afternoon, reaching St Peterburg in the evening.

As a group, we also join a masterclass to paint our own nested Matryoshka dolls… our own little souvenir to carry and remind us of a fun week in Russia.

With our very own Matryoshka dolls!

Day 6: Saint Petersburg – City Tour and Peterhof Palace

The day starts with a city tour of Saint Petersburg that will give us a peek into what this city has… many bridges, stunning castles, colourful cathedrals and fortresses.

Post lunch, we will head to the Peterhof Palace, also called the Russian Versailles. With spring having set in, the gardens would be green and the fountains will put up a show…I am excited!

Peterhof Palace

Day 7: Saint Petersburg – Hermitage Museum and Shopping

The highlights tour on the previous day will surely make us want to see more of Saint Petersburg…and we will do so by visiting the Hermitage Museum, which is also called the ‘Louvre of Russia’. The Hermitage complex itself is of architectural delight … and the collections have stories to speak which will hopefully, spike our interest enough to make to go back read our history textbooks.

The Hermitage Museum

The rest of the day is totally free to visit any of the other monuments or simply shop … it’s every girl’s favourite sport, isn’t it?

Our last night Russia… Oh Russia!!!! Tonight we will explore the party scene in SPB … or maybe … pack for the next day?

Day 8: Saint Petersburg …Bye Bye Russia

Memories, souvenirs and new friendships… it’s time take them all back to India! We check out of our hotel and take the flight from SPB to Delhi, via Moscow.

Farewell Russia!

You may also like

About post author, 11 responses.

Your photos are beautiful! I have always wanted to visit Russia, especially after seeing Anastasia (the Disney movie) 🙂 I can’t believe those mosaics are on the walls at the METRO STATION! How unreal. Great stuff, thanks for sharing.

Wow that is quite an awesome itinerary. I mean… huge Russia in 1 week. I am still dreaming of St. Petersbourg. So many people told me that it is gorgeous. And I would die to see the Ballet

You know I have never considered Russia but this itinerary looks amazing. St. Petersburg looks beautiful. I will certainly consider a trip there now

I’ve only been to St Petersburg so far, and did a few tours in the city and around. But I have a good friend in Moscow, so the incentive is definitely there to go back. I enjoy doing those by night experiences and see how cities transform in different times of day – especially if it’s topped with a circus visit, amazing 🙂

We are thinking of heading to Russia next Summer so will deffo use this itinerary, looks amazing! Would love to visit the Kremlin in Moscow! Thanks for sharing!

I have always been fascinated by Russia. I like the colourful rounds domes on the Palaces just like an Aladin’s Palace. FIFA Football World will be held in Russia next year and I will try my best to visit this beautiful country and will follow your itinerary and contact you. 🙂

Moscow and Kremlin city tour looks amazing. Your one week itinerary is helpful and complete tour of Russian delights. St.Petersburg city tour is also enchanting and splendid. I really want to have Russian vacation now after seeing your pictures

Wow, this is awesome. Well weaved itinerary! We had always dreamed of taking pictures of those onion-domed palaces and those colors on the palaces are just mind blowing. We didn’t know that there is a Versailles in Russia the exterior paint and the colors look much similar. We had loved it in France and would love to visit it in Russia too.

The Peterhof Palace is a delight to visit. Highly recommend it if you are in SPB

I haven’t visited Russia, but it’s definitely on the list! This a great itinerary, I love how you included things to do but also gave some leeway to do things on your own as well (like shopping haha). Beautiful pictures, the buildings and Russian dolls are stunning! I wonder if they’re all hand painted.

The dolls are all hand painted. The cost increases depending on the quality of work and the artist.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Let’s Travel

Your Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Your Message

• New User & User Access

Provider forms

Health care professionals can access forms for UnitedHealthcare plans, including commercial, Medicaid, Medicare and Exchange plans in one convenient location.

Easily access and download all UnitedHealthcare provider-forms in one convenient location.

Save time – Go digital

Select plan type.

If your select says “ Complete in portal ”, you can skip the PDF form and complete the action online in the UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal.

Claims and payments

• Claims Overpayment Refund Form   PDF  
• Corrected Claim and Claim Reconsideration Request Form   PDF  | Complete in portal

Exception Requests

• Colorado Standard Exemption Form for Contraceptive Products   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• New York Contraceptive Exception Request Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Confidential Exchange of Information Form   PDF
• Commercial Designation of Authorized Representative Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Option Care Health Medication Prescriber Order Form   PDF  
• Skilled Nursing Facilities Clinical and Therapy Request Form   PDF

Our network

• Demographic Change Form   PDF  | Complete in portal

Prior authorization

Sign in to the UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal to complete prior authorizations online.

• Arizona Health Care Services Prior Authorization Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Arizona Prior Authorization Medications DME Medical Devices Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• California Prescription Prior Authorization Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Colorado Prescription Prior Authorization Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Illinois Prescription Drugs Prior Authorization Request Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Indiana Prescription Prior Authorization Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Louisiana Prescription Prior Authorization Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Massachusetts Cardiac Imaging Prior Authorization Request Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Massachusetts Chemotherapy Supportive Care Prior Authorization Request Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Massachusetts Hepatitis Medication Prior Authorization Request Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Massachusetts Non-OB Ultrasound Request Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Massachusetts PET CT Request Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Massachusetts Prescription Prior Authorization Form   PDF
• Massachusetts Synagis® Prior Authorization Request Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Michigan Prescription Drug Prior Authorization Form FIS 2288   PDF
• Network Prior Authorization Gap Exception Request Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Nevada Cancer Stage 3 or 4 Step Therapy Protocol Prior Authorization Exception Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Nevada Medical Standard Prior Authorization Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• New Hampshire Prescription Prior Authorization Form   PDF
• New Mexico Prior Authorization Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• New York Prior Authorization Predetermination Form   PDF  
• Oregon Commercial Plan Prescription Prior Authorization Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• Texas Commercial Prior Authorization Form   PDF
• Texas Surest Prescription Prior Authorization Form   PDF  |  Complete in portal
• West Virginia Pre-Determination Form   Complete in portal
• Corrected Claim and Claim Reconsideration Request Form
• Demographic Change Form
• Medicare Direct PFFS Uncollectible Bad Debt Submittal Form
• Skilled Nursing Facilities Clinical and Therapy Request Form

To learn more about Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage or to access related forms, review the materials available on the  Plan Information and Forms  page of UHC.com/medicare.

State-specific pharmacy prior authorization forms

• Community Plan Pharmacy Prior Authorization for Prescribers

State-specific forms - General

• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• Rhode Island

Pharmacy prior authorization

• Alabama Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Arizona Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Colorado Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Florida Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Georgia Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Illinois Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Kansas Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Louisiana Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Maryland Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Massachusetts Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Michigan Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Mississippi Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Missouri Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Nevada Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• New York Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• North Carolina Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Ohio Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Oklahoma Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Tennessee Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Texas Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Virginia Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Washington Prior Authorization Form for Prescription Benefits
• Colorado Rocky Mountain Health Plan Out of Network Request form
• Colorado Rocky Mountain Health Plan Release of Information form
• Colorado Rocky Mountain Health Plan Release of Information form - Spanish
• Medicare Advantage
• Community Plan (Medicaid)
• Individual Exchange