Shield Against High Costs 

Start Shield is an optional add-on to your Start Health Base Policy.

It activates after your Base Policy Deductible is met and only applies to care from In-Network providers, or any provider in the case of an emergency. When your provider’s billed charges exceed what Start Health reimburses, Start Shield covers 80% of the remaining eligible charges. Once you reach the member responsibility cap—$8,000 for individuals or $16,000 for families—which includes your base plan’s deductible, Start Shield pays 100% of all remaining eligible charges for the year.

Essentially, Start Shield acts as a secondary layer of financial protection, covering gaps between your provider’s charges and your Base Policy reimbursement. It does not change your deductible, reimbursement amounts, and it is not available for routine care from Out-of-Network providers. This makes it particularly helpful for expensive procedures or emergency care where billed charges may exceed your Base Policy limits.

Enrollment in Start Shield will be available starting November 15, 2025.

To add Start Shield to an existing policy, you’ll need to renew early with a Jan 1 effective date. Log in to your member portal and follow the prompts to renew.

All members who are actively enrolled in a Start Health Base Policy are eligible to enroll in Start Shield. You can add Start Shield either:

• At Initial Enrollment: when applying for a new Start Health Base Policy, or
• At Renewal: during your annual renewal window after completing a 12-month policy period.

You might consider canceling your current policy and re-enrolling with Start Shield coverage if you haven’t utilized your Start Health coverage and are therefore not close to meeting your deductible (as you would start over with a clean slate when re-enrolling).

To enroll, you must also accept the required monthly contribution for Start Shield coverage. Note that Start Shield cannot be added mid-year to an existing Base Policy.

Start Shield is an additional 30% of the base policy’s premiums.

All emergency care is eligible for Start Shield coverage, while planned procedures are covered when in-network. In most cases, your Start Health base policy will cover whatever care you need. That said, Start Shield can also cover additional planned expenses above your normal Start Health reimbursement, but only for procedures performed at in-network facilities.

To confirm if your provider is In-Network for Start Shield, you can view eligible facilities at https://providersearch.healthutahnetwork.com/?networkId=4 or contact Member Support at (800) 894-9454 or support@starthealth.com. 

Emergency care is defined as treatment for a sudden, serious medical condition where immediate attention is required to avoid severe harm or death, and you cannot reasonably select an In-Network provider beforehand.