Optum, Red Ventures partner on consumer healthcare platform

Photo: Tempura/Getty Images

UnitedHealth Group's provider arm, Optum Health, has teamed up with Red Ventures on a new consumer health-focused joint venture, RVO Health, which among other things includes doctor ratings through Healthgrades.

Red Ventures is a portfolio of brands that includes Healthgrades, Healthline Media, Optum Perks and Optum Store, as well as virtual coaching programs. Those will all be folded into the RVO Health venture.

According to a report from Moody's Investors Service, RVO Health will combine 120 million UHG customers and 50 million-plus members with Red Ventures' 95 million unique monthly visitors.

"The joint will accelerate (Red Ventures') access to new products, services and solutions, as well as provide access to a sizable first-party data audience, while UHG will enhance its digital transformation and momentum from Red Venture's technology platform and digital marketing expertise," Moody's wrote.

Red Ventures received cash proceeds for the assets it contributed to the venture, though ownership and leadership of RVO Health is still unclear at this point. UHG will consolidate RVO Health financials into future financial statements, according to Moody's.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT

The latest move from Optum is a continuation of the many deals it has struck in recent months, including numerous partnerships, acquisitions and mergers. For instance, Optum plans to purchase charitable healthcare organization Atrius Health, a deal that was met with approval earlier this year from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.

Atrius and Optum agreed to increase the purchase price for Atrius' charitable assets from $73 million to $236 million, which means additional money for the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, according to the AG's office.

Optum and Change Healthcare, meanwhile, are extending their merger agreement to the end of the year, ahead of their scheduled trial starting August 1. The new merger deadline is December 31. The Department of Justice has sued to block the merger, citing anticompetitive concerns about data.

It was announced this year that Optum intends to merge with LHC Group, which provides healthcare services in the home for a demographic of mostly older patients dealing with chronic illnesses and injuries. Optum positioned the move as helping to advance value-based care, and said it would accelerate the combined companies' ability to deliver integrated care, leading to improved outcomes.

Even Optum UK, the company's British arm, will acquire U.K.-based healthcare technology company EMIS for about $1.51 billion. According to information provided by the London Stock Exchange, Optum anticipates the deal will result in better services for the National Health Service (NHS), the state-run healthcare system serving residents of the U.K.

THE LARGER TREND

UnitedHealth Group showed a slight year-to-year improvement in the first quarter of this year in posting a $5 billion profit, up from $4.9 billion in Q1 2021, and Optum led this growth – which UHG attributed to the accelerating expansion of its value-based care delivery initiatives. Optum first quarter revenues grew 18.9% to $43.3 billion, and operating earnings grew 19.8% to $3.2 billion.

Optum Health revenue per consumer served increased 33% over Q1 2021, driven by growth of people served under value-based care arrangements. Optum Health now expects to serve 600,000 new patients under such arrangements in 2022 compared to its initial outlook of 500,000.

Optum Insight's revenue backlog increased by $2 billion to $22.8 billion compared to a year ago, driven by growth in its expanding comprehensive managed services offerings for health systems. And OptumRx showed strong revenue growth of 11% in the first quarter, which UHG said was due to new, large health plan clients, as well as the further expansion of community-behavioral, specialty pharmacy and e-commerce services.
 

Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com