I used Unity Health Insurance (under Quartz) for a full year in Madison, Wisconsin. Family plan. One kid with asthma. One clumsy ankle (mine). A few sore throats. Normal life stuff.
Here’s the thing: I didn’t expect to care much about my health plan. But when your kid needs an inhaler at 9 p.m., you care.
The setup: picking the plan and getting started
My employer offered a few choices. I picked Unity (Quartz) HMO because the UW Health clinics near me were in network. My share was $124 per paycheck. Deductible was $1,500 for me and $3,000 for the family. Out-of-pocket max was $4,000/$8,000. Co-pays were simple: $25 for a primary care visit, $35 for specialist, $75 for urgent care.
Cards came fast. The app showed a digital ID, which saved me when I forgot my wallet. Yep, that happened in January. Cold brain.
Real visits and bills I had
-
Saturday urgent care for strep throat at UW Health East: I paid $75 at check-in. Swab, results in 15 minutes, done. The claim hit the portal in three days. EOB in five. No surprise charges. That felt rare and nice.
-
My kid’s inhaler drama: The brand we used wasn’t on Tier 1. Pharmacist said I’d pay a lot. I called the Unity/Quartz number on the card. The nurse line walked me through a generic that worked. Co-pay dropped to $20. We did a quick prior auth later for a spacer. It got approved the next day. I exhaled. So did my kid.
-
Physical therapy after my ankle sprain: 6 visits. $35 each. They flagged visit 7 and asked for notes. My PT sent them. It got okay’d. One bill came in wrong at $120. I sent a message in the portal with a photo of the receipt. Fixed in a week. Not fun, but clean.
-
Annual checkup with labs: $0. Preventive stays free. The lab tried to bill a vitamin D test as “diagnostic,” which would’ve cost me. My doctor updated the code. It turned back to $0. Pro tip: Ask how they bill it, not just “what” they ordered.
-
Mental health therapy: I found a therapist in network on the Quartz directory. The first two had waitlists (ugh), but the third had openings. $25 co-pay, telehealth was fine. Audio was better than video, which made me laugh. Six sessions helped. No extra charges.
-
Travel hiccup: We went to Chicago. My kid got a nasty cough. Urgent care nearby wasn’t in network. They billed me $180. Not the end of the world, but it stung. The plan is great in Wisconsin, but outside the area? Not so much unless it’s a true emergency.
The portal and the app
The app is simple. I could:
- See claims in a few days
- Check co-pays and my deductible
- Pull a digital ID
- Send a message to support
It got quirky when I tried to upload a PDF on my phone. It kept crashing. I switched to my laptop and it worked. Annoying, but fixable.
There’s also a wellness program. I synced my step counter and earned $100 in rewards by hitting activity goals. Free money for walking? I’m in.
Network strength (and weak spots)
In Madison, the network is strong. UW Health, Meriter, clinics all over town. My primary care doctor was 10 minutes away. Referrals to a dermatologist and PT were fast. Like, “see you next week” fast.
But the network felt tight outside our zone. Finding care near my parents in northern Wisconsin was hard. I had options, just not many. So plan ahead if you travel or split time in two places.
One unexpected side quest while hunting for out-of-town clinics was realizing how many geo-filtered apps exist for, well, everything—restaurants, yoga pop-ups, even adults-only communities. For instance, the location-based interface on LocalNudes makes it easy to see and chat with real people who live nearby, so if you’re traveling and want a consenting-adults network instead of just medical help, the site’s city filter and private messaging give you a fast, no-pressure way to connect. Similarly, if you detour down to Florida’s Treasure Coast and want another hyper-local directory, check out the Fort Pierce section of ListCrawler, where you can browse real-time postings, read community reviews, and message providers before deciding to meet up.
What I liked
- Clear co-pays. I knew what I’d pay most of the time.
- Claims moved fast. Five days was normal for us.
- Nurse line was kind and helpful. Real humans. Not robots reading a script.
- Preventive care really was $0. No sneaky fees.
- Wellness rewards paid out. Small thing, but it kept me moving.
What bugged me
- Out-of-network stuff adds up quick. Even for small things.
- The provider directory wasn’t always current. I called two therapists who weren’t taking new patients.
- The app upload glitch. Tiny, but still a glitch.
- Prior auth for simple items can feel fussy. It did get approved fast, though.
My cost snapshot (your numbers may differ)
- Premium (my share): $124 per paycheck
- Deductible: $1,500 individual / $3,000 family
- Out-of-pocket max: $4,000/$8,000
- Co-pays: $25 primary, $35 specialist, $75 urgent care
- ER: $300, then 20% after deductible (we didn’t use it, thank goodness)
Who this plan fits
- You live in southern Wisconsin, near UW Health or Meriter
- You’re good with an HMO and staying in network
- You like simple co-pays and quick claims
- You want a decent telehealth and nurse line
Before you commit, it’s worth scanning independent quality scores for Unity/Quartz and other Wisconsin insurers on the ASQH site. I’ve also put together a separate, blow-by-blow account—my real-life review of Unity Health Insurance (Quartz)—if you want even more nitty-gritty numbers.
Another good independent take is the Unity Health review on Expert Insurance Reviews, which digs into plan options, pricing, and complaint data. If you want to see how other members score the carrier, the crowd-sourced Quartz Health Insurance ratings on USInsuranceAgents.com break down customer service, claims experience, and network breadth.
Who might struggle:
- Folks who travel a lot or split time out of state
- People who want total freedom to see any doctor, anywhere
(Curious how a nonprofit carrier compares? Check out the wins, bumps, and huh moments I had with a nonprofit health plan.)
Tips I wish I knew sooner
- Always check if a clinic is in network before you book.
- Ask how tests get coded. Preventive vs diagnostic matters.
- Save your receipts and EOBs. Take photos. It helps with fixes.
- Try mail-order pharmacy for refills. My cost went down a bit.
- Add your digital ID to your phone wallet. It saves your day.
Final take
Unity Health Insurance (Quartz) worked well for my family. It’s steady, fast with claims, and solid in the Madison area. It’s not perfect—out-of-network stuff can bite—but it did what we needed without nasty surprises.
I’d give it 4 out of 5. Would I use it again? If I’m staying in Wisconsin, yes. If I move or travel more, I’d think hard about a broader network. (I later tried a very different model—my real-life review of Surest Health Insurance—and comparing the two opened my eyes to how much plan design can change the day-to-day experience.) You know what? For a year full of sniffles and a cranky ankle, I felt covered—and that’s the point.