Working together to power health care innovation
Strategic collaborations aimed at solving health care’s biggest challenges are pushing the envelope in all the right ways.
The U.S. health care system wasn’t designed by any one person or entity. As a result, it has many overlapping, disjointed elements, with incentives and objectives that are not always aligned.
Within this complex system, UnitedHealthcare is working to create simpler, more personalized and connected member experiences while also reducing costs and supporting better health outcomes by:
- Leveraging the expertise and resources available within its parent company, UnitedHealth Group
- Working with outside health care companies to drive better health outcomes
- Collaborating with employers, brokers and consultants to develop innovative solutions to pressing health needs
“We acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers. But by pooling our expertise and resources, we believe we can develop innovative solutions that benefit the entire industry,” says Joe Long, chief strategy officer for UnitedHealthcare. “It’s about working together to create meaningful change, rather than competing to be the first to cross the finish line.”
“At the heart of our growth and our commitment to serving our clients and members more effectively is our willingness to collaborate with other companies and organizations.”
Leveraging expertise and resources within UnitedHealth Group
The integrated nature of UnitedHealth Group brings together a payer, UnitedHealthcare, and a health solution and care delivery organization, Optum, under one roof as innovation collaborators. Combining the experience, capabilities and expertise of these 2 companies provides a greater chance of being able to scale solutions in a more meaningful, connected way.
Optum and UnitedHealthcare often work together to learn which products and solutions are working well for employers. As a result, UnitedHealthcare often offers Optum services and solutions to its clients and members. These shared learnings can also help identify opportunities to enhance existing offerings — or when new solutions may be needed to better meet the needs of employers and members.
“By integrating Optum and other external third-party solutions into our offerings, we are not only enhancing and expanding our capabilities, but also prioritizing the needs of our clients and consumers. This approach ensures that we continually offer and develop the best products and solutions, to meet the needs of everyone we serve,” says Kelley Nolan-Maccione, chief product officer for UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual.
Working with outside health care companies to drive better health outcomes
Collaborations among health care companies are also working to accelerate the pace of innovation. For instance, UnitedHealth Group supports a robust pipeline of cutting-edge health solutions through Optum Ventures. Founded in 2017 as a venture capital firm, Optum Ventures now has more than $2B in assets under management in support of 57+ portfolio companies,1 including:
- Cortica: Combining medical care and developmental and behavioral therapy for children with autism
- Groups: Providing group therapy and medication-assisted therapy for those with opioid use disorder
- Somatus: Offering an integrative care platform for patients with kidney disease
UnitedHealthcare is also simplifying employers' experience of offering different health and wellness solutions that complement their core benefits. One such example is UHC Hub™ , which gives employers access to 20+ vendors, including 2nd.MD, Maven and Hinge Health, among others, to complement their UnitedHealthcare offerings. The UHC Store will be another way employees can directly purchase solutions to help support their individual health and wellness needs.
“At UnitedHealthcare, we are reimagining the consumer experience,” says Samantha Baker, chief consumer officer for UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual. “Our goal is to provide our members with best-in-class offerings, and we do this through innovative solutions and partnerships.”
Rather than viewing each other as competition and working in silos, it’s critical that people and organizations from within and outside the industry link arms to find solutions that help make health care work better for everyone.
Collaborating with employers, brokers and consultants to develop innovative solutions to pressing health needs
Understanding that employers, brokers and consultants have the best pulse on what employees and their families need from their benefits, UnitedHealthcare leans on these relationships to inform its innovation agenda.
This includes enlisting feedback from employers, members, brokers and consultants on an ongoing basis to get a sense of what’s working and what’s not. This insight is then used to enhance existing solutions or to develop and pilot new solutions that may be scaled to a broader population.
For example, based on this kind of feedback, UnitedHealthcare created Complex Care Concierge (C3), a service that matches eligible members and their families with a dedicated UnitedHealthcare Advocate who provides personal support and acts as a single point of contact connected to all aspects of the health care system.
While feedback from employers is integral to driving better health outcomes and lowering costs for specific member populations, it’s also important to build trusted relationships with employer collectives who are responsible for serving diverse client groups and member populations. For instance, UnitedHealthcare collaborates closely with the Health Action Council, a nonprofit coalition representing approximately 230 employers and union groups who offer health benefits and wellness services to more than 2.6M individuals. Together, UnitedHealthcare and the Health Action Council aim to improve the quality, safety, efficiency and affordability of health care.
The United Health Foundation has committed more than
$8M+
to programs and communities around the world2
Working with employers who are deeply engrained in their communities is another key part of the strategy. For example, through its Communities of Health initiative, UnitedHealthcare has teamed up with local employer groups, organizations and health systems to identify gaps in care and develop innovative programs or solutions designed to help ensure employees, families and community members have access to needed health and social services.
On a broader scale, UnitedHealth Group, through its United Health Foundation, also works with community-based organizations, academic institutions and other entities to develop and scale innovative programs and solutions focused on building healthier communities and advancing health equity by expanding access to care, supporting health care workforces and improving health outcomes. To date, the foundation has committed more than $8M to programs and communities around the world.2
Communities of Health initiative
St. Paul, MN
In collaboration with M Health Fairview, Minnesota Community Care, Sanneh Foundation, Second Harvest Heartland, Fairview Frontiers and Ebenezer, the Fairview Community Health and Wellness Hub was built to help make it easier for community members to access culturally specific primary and behavioral health care, social need screenings with referrals to community-based resources and a food distribution center with fresh, Minnesota-grown produce and pantry staples.
Memphis, TN
In collaboration with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), West Clinic and additional community partners, the UTHSC Health Hub was built to provide health coaching and support in areas like healthy eating, exercise, medication adherence, behavioral health, health screenings and chronic disease education, as well as social drivers of health-related screenings with referrals to community resources.
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