Optum Launches Laboratory Benefit Management Solution to Reduce Unnecessary Testing and Improve Quality of Care
June 22 2022 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
The comprehensive solution aligns testing
with clinical evidence, helping health plans better manage lab test
utilization and spending
Optum today announced the launch of a comprehensive laboratory
benefit management solution designed to help health plans reduce
unnecessary lab testing and ensure their members receive
appropriate, high-quality tests.
The potential savings for health plans range from $12-36 per
member per year – or more than $3 billion annually. The offering
will help health plans align lab testing with clinical,
evidence-based guidelines and automate large parts of lab benefit
administration.
Unnecessary lab testing is widely recognized as wasteful and
potentially harmful to patients. Roughly 13 billion clinical lab
tests are performed every year, making it the most utilized medical
benefit.1 Health plans spend tens of billions of dollars on lab
tests annually ― yet studies show that 30% of lab tests are
unnecessary.2
Tests not clinically indicated can lead to unnecessary sample
collection from patients and increased chances of incorrect
results. The absence of industry standards and clinical efficacy
data exacerbates misuse and misinterpretation of tests, often
leading to inappropriate and unnecessary interventions.3
Given these challenges and as more lab tests enter the market,
health plans need a solution to address the current lack of test
management and oversight.
“Lab testing is one of the most common touch points in health
care and the benefit health plan members use most often,” said Rob
Mayer, senior vice president, and general manager, Optum. “This new
solution will help health plans determine which tests are
clinically proven, streamline decisions and automate processes to
significantly reduce unnecessary testing for their members and
increase cost savings.”
Challenges are growing with frequent advances in genomics
testing, which can assess a person’s genetic code to evaluate the
personal risk of contracting one or more specific diseases. Optum’s
new solution includes a multi-organizational team of clinical
experts to develop evidence-based lab policies and evaluate new
tests in this rapidly growing and evolving space.
“Testing is expanding so rapidly that most clinicians do not
have the bandwidth to stay up-to-date on which ones are the highest
quality. As clinicians, we all want reliable test results as we
make decisions for our patients,” Jill Hagenkord, MD, chief medical
officer, Optum Genomics, said. “This laboratory benefit management
solution leverages deep clinical expertise to help guide clinicians
to the tests with the highest clinical validity and utility.”
This laboratory benefit management solution is now available to
all health plans. Additional information is available here
Optum/Laboratory Benefit Management.
____________________ 1 Price, Christopher & St John, Andrew.
(2014). Clinica Chimica Acta. Anatomy of a value proposition for
laboratory medicine. 436, 104–111. 2 Zhi M, Ding EL, Theisen-Toupal
J, Whelan J, Arnaout R. The landscape of inappropriate laboratory
testing: a 15-year meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2013 Nov
15;8(11):e78962. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078962. PMID: 24260139;
PMCID: PMC3829815. 3 B.E.L. Vrijsen, C.A. Naaktgeboren, L.M. Vos,
W.W. van Solinge, H.A.H. Kaasjager, M.J. ten Bergc. Inappropriate
laboratory testing in internal medicine inpatients: Prevalence,
causes and interventions. National Library of Medicine, February 7,
2020.
About Optum Optum is a leading information and
technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping
make the health system work better for everyone. With more than
210,000 people worldwide, Optum delivers intelligent, integrated
solutions that help to modernize the health system and improve
overall population health. Optum is part of UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE: UNH). For more information, visit www.optum.com.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005032/en/
Optum Media Contact: Gwen Holliday 202-549-3429
gwen.m.holliday@optum.com
UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024