Diplomat Pharmacy, under Pressure, Merges with OptumRx

Diplomat Pharmacy, under Pressure, Merges with OptumRx

In early November, Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (NYSE: DPLO) revealed some troubling news. The company reported a net loss of $177.3 million in its third-quarter earnings report, its third in a row, and issued a “going concern” warning. Shares dropped 50% (from $6.20 to $3.10) that morning. Brian Griffin, chairman and CEO of Diplomat, cited industry headwinds pressuring its prescription benefits management (PBM) business, and its failure to renew network participation in their specialty pharmacy network. Diplomat’s PBM segment generated $82 million in Q3:19, compared to $170 million in the same quarter last year. Diplomat Pharmacy’s efforts to expand in the PBM sector... Read More »

UNH & Optum Expand Their Digital Health Portfolio

Optum, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, has acquired another digital health company. The target is Vivify Health, whose mobile, cloud-based platform offers remote care management services such as personalized care plans and biometric data monitoring. The deal was first reported by CNBC. Vivify’s program uses health devices ranging from a wireless weight scale to portable blood pressure cuffs. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) systems offer a great deal of value for providers and payers. They help physicians and doctors stay up to date on a patient’s health without any hospital visits or trips, an they offer an opportunity to take preventative measures if a... Read More »
Tufts Health and Harvard Pilgrim Plan to Merge

Tufts Health and Harvard Pilgrim Plan to Merge

The Boston area has seen a lot of hospital merger and acquisition activity in recent years, some of it successful, some not. Now two not-for-profit health plans are merging, chasing the same goal of scaling up and reducing costs through streamlining administrative processes. Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, both based in the Boston metropolitan area, announced their merger on August 14. The new organization, which will have a new name, will be one of the largest not-for-profit health services organizations in the Northeast, serving nearly 2.4 million members in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Tufts Health Plan offers managed care... Read More »
Healthcare Payment Firm Bought for $3.2 Billion

Healthcare Payment Firm Bought for $3.2 Billion

As the healthcare market evolves, so does the need to manage the payment flows between managed care companies, providers and patients. That rising demand surely played a role in UnitedHealth Group, Inc.’s (NYSE: UNH) acquisition of Equian LLC, an end-to-end healthcare payment firm.  UnitedHealth paid approximately $3.2 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter. Equian manages over $500 billion in claims data annually through its platform, assisting clients by avoiding, identifying, pricing, analyzing clinical codes, and ultimately recovering inaccurate transactions in healthcare, workers compensation, and property and casualty markets. If... Read More »
Optum Adds Seattle’s Polyclinic to Its Doctor Roster

Optum Adds Seattle’s Polyclinic to Its Doctor Roster

UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) Optum division is a key growth driver for the managed care giant, and M&A is a primary reason. During an investor day meeting in New York on November 27, UNH CEO David Wichmann mentioned the company’s acquisition of The Polyclinic, a 240-doctor group in and around Seattle, Washington. Of course Mr. Wichmann didn’t disclose a price. The 101-year-old practice began looking for a partner after developing a strategic plan that proved too costly even for a group of 240 physicians with 14 locations. The deal with Optum will allow it retain control as a physician-led practice and it will continue to operate under its brand name. The practice... Read More »