During an April 18 conference call with Optum Everycare CEO Jennifer Phalen, some employees of the company’s virtual care division were informed that their last appointment would be in July, according to a newsletter this week.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
UnitedHealth Group, Optum’s parent company, reported a net loss of more than $1 billion in the first quarter — including impacts from the Feb. 21 Change Healthcare ransomware attack and a billing system outage. math later.
According to Endpoint News, Optum’s services business, which employs and affiliates with approximately 90,000 physicians, spoke with three individuals who were on a conference call with Phalen and discussed the pending shutdown. physical.
This month, a physician and IT entrepreneur posted on his Substack other unconfirmed reports suggesting Optum would end its telehealth service — and asked whether the Is traditional healthcare capable of replacing Optum’s millions of virtual visits?
Powered largely by Optum technology, UHG facilitated more than 33 million telehealth visits in 2020, up from 1.2 million in 2019. That’s a 2,500% increase year-over-year, said Kristi Henderson, former Optum senior vice president of digital transformation and CEO of Optum Virtual Care, now chief executive officer of Confluent Health.
In a 2021 piece she authored on Optum.com, she noted that digital health tools enable more connected experiences that complement standard care and systems approaches That combination “expands consumer choice and convenience while increasing engagement and access to care.” speak.
Developing digital-first capabilities and integrating technology into healthcare remains a priority for Optum, leaders at the recent UHG Investor Conference said.
That means “moving healthcare from the clipboard in the clinic to the app on their phone,” said Heather Cianfroco, CEO of Optum. “We are working to transform the consumer experience across every aspect of care for the people we serve as well as for millions of others in the broader marketplace.”
Amar Desai, CEO of Optum Health, said the company also strives to empower physicians with “the best practices and tools they need to best serve in value”.
BIGGER TREND
In December, Steven Ullman, director of the Center for Health Policy and Management at the University of Miami, said telemedicine use had dropped to 5.4% of medical claims since the usage skyrocketed during the pandemic.
However, adoption of virtual healthcare and hybrid care models is expected, according to Jon Salon, president of MDLive, the Evernorth Company, a virtual healthcare delivery service provider. will grow this year.
“As employers continue to roll out plans to bring employees back to the office for at least some of the time, they are looking to provide more support for their employees’ physical, mental and emotional well-being – even when in-person in the office, and through digital tools and virtual care,” he said Healthcare IT news in January.
Meanwhile, Optum has focused on reconnecting Change Healthcare’s systems. On Monday, UHG reported in its latest update that pharmacy services and medical claims had returned to near-normal levels. The company also said a significant portion of Americans’ protected data was stolen in the cyberattack.
While states and others have stepped in to help providers crippled by lack of payments and Medicare reimbursements, the prolonged shutdown has threatened the sustainability of operations. of small doctors across the country. Data collected for the American Medical Association from March 26 to April 3 showed imminent closures of 10 or fewer physicians.
ON PROFILE
“Virtual care has been and will continue to be a core part of our comprehensive, integrated care delivery model designed to provide care for people where, when and how they want.”
“As a business, we are committed to providing patients with a strong network of providers for virtual urgent care, primary care and specialty care options. We are continually reviewing the possibilities and the services we provide to meet the growing needs of the businesses and people we serve.” serve,” they continued.
“As always, we will support impacted team members with job placement resources and look to deploy them into any open roles within the company where possible.”
Andrea Fox is a senior editor at Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.
