Here are five updates on UnitedHealth Group's recent operations, publications and provider disputes reported by Becker's Hospital Review in January.
1. UnitedHealth says St. Francis 2.5 times pricier than St. Louis market; hospital cites 25% price drop
Saint Francis Healthcare System in Cape Girardeau, Mo., will no longer be in UnitedHealthcare's provider network beginning March 5 after negotiations between the two organizations derailed.
2. UnitedHealth: Medicare Advantage spending is about 40% lower than FFS
Medicare beneficiaries who are covered through private plans as opposed to fee-for-service alternatives spend about 40 percent less on healthcare, according to a report published by UnitedHealth Group.
3. Not a MinuteClinic: UnitedHealthcare Medicare Part D CEO outlines Walgreens centers
A Las Vegas Walgreens will be the first to house one of 14 UnitedHealthcare Medicare service centers set to open this year. The center's grand opening is scheduled for Feb. 4, with a house call already booked for the first day the center opens, Mike Anderson, CEO of the Medicare Part D business at UnitedHealthcare, told Becker's.
4. Optum helps boost UnitedHealth profit past $5B in Q4
UnitedHealth Group saw its revenues just miss analysts' expectations in the fourth quarter of 2019, but the health insurance giant's Optum unit boosted profits.
5. Houston Methodist, UnitedHealthcare split affects 100,000
Houston Methodist facilities and physicians are no longer a part of UnitedHealthcare's network, a change that may require 100,000 patients to seek new providers.