Optum buys naviHealth for reported $1 billion; Amwell raises $194 million in Series C

May 23, 2020 | by

In non-COVID-19 news, Optum has confirmed to industry press that they have acquired post-acute management company naviHealth. Becker’s HealthIT cites sources that the purchase price is in the vicinity of $1 billion. Continuing their PAC-MAN path, this pharmacy benefit, population health, and care services wing of UnitedHealth Group in the past six months finalized the purchase of DaVita Medical Group from renal treatment giant DaVita for over $4.3 bn and is reportedly closing on a full acquisition of virtual behavioral health provider AbleTo [TTA 29 Apr] for a less stunning $470 million.

naviHealth provides post-acute care clinical decision-making tools that manage pre and post-acute care as part of value-based care programs such as the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) program with CMS. Their customer base includes health plans (4.5 million members within Medicare Advantage alone), over 140 hospitals, and post-acute care providers such as nursing homes, LTC facilities, rehabilitation, and home health. The company will retain current management and staff, and operate as a stand-alone company within OptumHealth. It’s a well-paid exit for Cardinal Health and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Also MedCityNews

Amwell raises $194 million in a second Series C. The former American Well did not need telehealth to receive a gratifying boost from its investors Allianz X and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. This follows on a February $60 million venture round from Chetrit Ventures (BostInno). Amwell has raised $711 million in nine funding rounds (Crunchbase). Their main business has been with payers, health systems, and employers. In April, they added a branded program, Amwell Private Practice, for practices under 100 providers for these mostly shuttered offices to reach their patients at home and to continue care. Release, Mobihealthnews.

Powerhouse DC lobbying for telehealth, telemedicine

February 13, 2014 | by
[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gimlet-eye.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]The Gimlet Eye observes from a houseboat anchored at a remote Pacific island, with coconuts and occasional internet to Editor Donna.

Telehealth and telemedicine have reached a US milestone of sorts: the formation of a Washington, DC-based ‘advocacy’ (a/k/a lobbying) group constituted as a business non-profit. The Alliance for Connected Care is headed by three former Senators (two of whom were ‘amigos’) from both sides of the aisle and backed by a board including the expected (giants Verizon, WellPoint, CVS Caremark, Walgreens)–and the surprising (much smaller remote consult provider Teladoc and HealthSpot, the developer of the HealthSpot Station kiosk–hmmm, must be a fair chunk of their marketing budgets there) flanked by six well known ‘associate members’ including Cardinal Health and Care Innovations (another hmmm). There’s also a hefty ‘advisory board‘ including the American Heart Association and the NAHC (home care). The leadership team members are all members of major Washington law/lobbying firms. Tom Daschle is recognized as one of the most influential former Senators in town via DLA Piper, though himself not a registered lobbyist (OpenSecrets.org). Trent Lott and John Breaux hung out their own shingle and were recently bought by mega-lobbyist Patton Boggs. To put a fine point on it, more high-powered one does not get. The Eye sees that the time is prime for the Big Influence and…

What the Eye sees is Big Financial Stakes: Private insurers are required to cover telehealth in 20 states, as does Medicaid in most. The VA is a major user. But the great big trough of Medicare is new territory; covering 16 percent of the population, the use of telemedicine and telehealth is limited to certain geographic areas. (MedCityNews) This marks the infamous tipping point: the clarion call to ‘build significant and high-level support for Connected Care among leaders in Congress and the Administration’, ‘enable more telehealth to support new models of care’ and ‘establish a non-binding, standardized definition of Connected Care through federal level multi stakeholder-input process’ (whew!) Big companies want in, insurers want reimbursement, and they want it from somewhere as well. Toto, we’re not in the Kansas of Small anymore with ‘connected health’–we are now in the Oz of Big Money and Power Players. Alliance release (Oddly the website looks preliminary despite the big announcement and backing.)

More on this strategy: It’s called ‘soft lobbying’ and it is the latest thing in the Influence Wars. The Alliance for Connected Care is a 501(c)6 non-profit, similar to a business league like the Chamber of Commerce, and this has become a popular tactic. It’s also a less regulated, less transparent way to shape coverage, public opinion and exert influence on legislators. See this well-timed examination from the Washington Post on the corn syrup versus table sugar wars. ‘Soft lobbying’ war between sugar, corn syrup shows new tactics in Washington influence

HealthSpot, Netsmart ally for telemedicine kiosks

May 7, 2013 | by

HealthSpot, which debuted its staffed telemedicine/telehealth Stations at CES 2013 (and this Editor previewed at CES New York in November), is partnering with behavioral health EHR/practice/clinical case management software provider Netsmart to add that capability to its kiosk consults. Announced at ATA yesterday, the MedCityNews article is sketchy on exactly how this will be integrated–will it be an option or will select kiosks be dedicated to behavioral health only–but this is likely a first for telementalhealth (another term in our lexicon!) Kiosk placements can be especially useful in rural areas which have a paucity of mental health/psychiatric providers (see TTA on Forefront TeleCare’s ATA announcement). It also follows this year’s ATA theme of telemedicine to more effectively serve rural US areas. HealthSpot also announced a pilot with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in its hometown of Columbus, Ohio; their CEO claims it has orders for 150 units in hand for its now three health system partners. Surprisingly, as of April they are already at Series C funding with a $10.4 million financing (of a $20 million offering) from giant Cardinal Health and other private investors.