May 25: Bassett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown, N.Y., tapped Optum to provide IT and revenue cycle management services.
June 16: Brightline, a virtual care platform focused on bringing mental healthcare to children, secured $72 million from investors, including Optum and Google.
June 22: The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a decision, putting Aetna and Optum back in hot water for allegedly using “dummy code” that disguised administrative charges as billable medical fees.
June 30: UnitedHealth Group’s Optum awarded $1.4 million in grants to five community organizations focused on maternal health.
July 6: Aetna and Optum issued a petition for a rehearing after a federal appellate court sided with a lawsuit that claimed the insurers used “dummy code” to make administrative fees appear to be billable medical charges.
Aug. 16: Optum said it’s offering virtual care and discounted drugs to patients who pay with cash, presenting new competition to digital health startups and telehealth providers.
