Optums John Muir Health deal provides a new model for health system collaboration

UnitedHealth Groups Optum division has become a major provider in its own right, vacuuming up independent practices and physician groups nationwide. The companys recently closed acquisition of DaVita Medical Group makes the company one of the top employers of clinicians in the country. Much of the growth has been in its OptumCare subsidy, which is mainly focused on outpatient care settings. A new partnership with Walnut Creek, California-based health system John Muir Health could provide a model of how the company is looking to support the inpatient hospital setting with backend services. As part of the deal, Optum will take over non-clinical functions for the provider ranging from IT services, revenue cycle management, analytics and claims processing. The idea is to allow John Muir to focus on patient care and lower administrative burden, while utilizing Optum data resources to shift its business to value-based care models. “This first-of-its-kind, comprehensive relationship brings the exceptional skills and knowledge of the John Muir Health team together with Optum’s advanced technologies, analytic tools and operational expertise to deliver better health outcomes and patient experiences while reducing the total cost of care,” OptumInsight CEO Eric Murphy said in a statement.