Optum, a division of health insurance giantUnitedHealth Group, has acquiredMedExpress Urgent Care, a leader in walk-in care.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Eden Praire, Minn.-based Optum announced the acquisition in a news release.
Downtown Pittsburgh-based health insurerHighmark Inc. has a 10 percent share in MedExpress, but company spokeswomanKelly Sorice said the company does not comment on its investor relations.
“We’ve always had a strong partnership with MedExpress, which has provided important health care services to many of our members,” Highmark spokesmanAaron Billger said in a statement. “Our expectation is that the relationship will continue.”
Morgantown, W.Va.-based MedExpress, which also has offices at Southpointe in Washington County, operates 141 neighborhood medical centers in 11 states and plans to accelerate its expansion by opening 25 to 30 new centers this year, according to Optum. UHG (NYSE: UHG)UnitedHealthcare is the biggest health insurer in the country by membership.“We look forward to working with MedExpress to build in the exceptional care and services it provides today and to expanding this progressive and successful approach to care to more communities across the country,” Optum CEOLarry Renfro said in a statement. MedExpress founder and CEO Frank Alderman said Optum “shares our commitment to ensuring people can get the care they need, when and where they need it.”
Optum focuses on caring for large groups of people called population management, care delivery and improving the clinical and operating parts of the health care system. Software, consulting and pharmacy benefit management are other services.
Optum operates about 10 of its own walk-in clinics, so the MedExpress acquisition allows the company to get into the market in a bigger way, said Arch Maharaja, professor of business management and health care at Point Park University. The deal is not expected to affect Highmark, which is likely trying to focus on its hospital system instead of urgent care.
“This will give them a way to get into the market,” Maharaja said about Optum. “This makes a lot of sense for them. Their whole goal is to make it convenient for consumers.”
With 51 outlets, MedExpress has the most clinics of any operator in Pennsylvania, triple the number the company has in any other state.
Optum and UnitedHealthcare provide medical benefits to 85 million people and have a combined workforce of 183,000 people. The companies provide medical benefits in all 50 states and 125 other countries, according to the companies.
Date: April 20, 2015