Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), the managed care giant, has acquired Apixio Inc. to boost its healthcare analytics capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. San Mateo, California-based Apixio provides a technology suite that mines, compiles and analyzes large volumes of disparate, unstructured patient data (such as physician notes and medical charts), and creates and refines algorithms to extract high-quality insights to support payers’ and providers’ administrative activities. Apixio’s AI platform has been trained to handle the complexities and challenges of the healthcare industry and deliver proven results.
Apixio will remain an operationally independent entity as part of Centene Corporation’s Health Care Enterprises group to continue bringing value to its clients and the industry. Apixio’s technology will complement Centene’s existing data analytics products including Interpreta, which continuously updates, interprets, and synchronizes clinical and genomics data. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2020.
However, this isn’t the first Managed Care and eHealth crossover of 2020. In late September, UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (NYSE: UNH) purchased DivvyDose for a reported $300 million, according to sources cited by CNBC. DivvyDose is a platform that delivers a personalized roll of pre-sorted prescription medications, vitamins and OTC medications for patients. The company also offers tools for medication management for those dealing with chronic illnesses.
In May, OptumHealth, a division of UnitedHealth Group, announced the addition of NaviHealth, which manages post-acute services and bundled payments for 4.5 million Medicare Advantage members and nine of the 10 largest health systems. No terms were disclosed, but The Nashville Business Journal on May 18 cited sources who believe the price is more than $1 billion.
But, according to search results in our Healthcare Deal Database, this is the first acquisition in the eHealth sector for Centene, which usually focuses on building its managed care network. In late June, Centene’s subsidiary, Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc., and NextLevel Health Partners, Inc., executed a member transfer agreement for 54,000 members in Illinois.
