Optum, a leading healthcare organization, has been making headlines with several notable updates. These include positive findings from a study on their in-home health visits program, investments in ambulatory surgery centers, a class-action lawsuit certification, medication adherence research, an acquisition offer to Amedisys, a healthcare initiative for underserved communities, a leadership appointment, and the departure of their chief consumer officer. These developments showcase Optum’s commitment to improving healthcare accessibility and delivering quality care.
Optum, a prominent healthcare organization, has recently made headlines with several noteworthy updates. Here are eight significant developments reported by Becker’s since May 17:
1. Optum HouseCalls Program: A joint study conducted by Yale Medicine and Optum researchers revealed that Medicare Advantage patients who received in-home health visits through the Optum HouseCalls program experienced reduced emergency room visits and hospital stays.
2. Ambulatory Surgery Centers: Optum is actively increasing investments in ambulatory surgery centers and forming strategic partnerships with outpatient providers. These collaborations aim to expedite the establishment of new centers and enhance healthcare accessibility.
3. Class-Action Lawsuit: A federal judge in North Carolina granted class-action status to a lawsuit alleging collusion between Aetna and OptumHealth Care Solutions. The lawsuit claims that the organizations used “dummy code” to misrepresent administrative fees as billable medical charges.
4. Medication Adherence Study: A study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed data from Optum Insight, involving over 94,000 enrollees with commercial and Medicare plans. It revealed that individuals with lower copayments for GLP-1 or SGLT-2 drugs for diabetes were more likely to continue their medication regimen for more than a year compared to those with higher copayments.
5. Acquisition Offer to Amedisys: Optum made an unsolicited cash offer to Amedisys, a provider of home and hospice care. This followed a prior agreement in May for Amedisys to be acquired by Option Care Health, an infusion services provider.
6. Healthcare Initiatives in Underserved Areas: Optum Rx is launching a new initiative that aims to address healthcare gaps in rural and underserved communities. This innovative approach will utilize pharmacies as a means to enhance healthcare access and quality in these areas.
7. Leadership Appointment: Susan Arthur was appointed as the president of Optum Global Advantage, bringing her expertise to oversee and lead this division of Optum.
8. Executive Departure: Kathy Weiler, the chief consumer officer at Optum, left the company to assume the role of executive vice president and chief commercial and growth officer at Amwell, a digital healthcare technology company.
These updates highlight the diverse and dynamic activities undertaken by Optum to improve healthcare outcomes, expand its services, and foster growth within the industry.
