Walmart And UnitedHealth Group Launch Medicare Advantage Partnership

Walmart and UnitedHealth Group have developed a major partnership to provide healthcare services and “improve the patient experience” for Medicare Advantage subscribers in select markets nationwide.

The 10-year collaboration between the retail giant’s fast-growing Walmart Health business and UnitedHealth’s Optum Health Services, announced Wednesday, will expand to Florida and Georgia, where Walmart Health has a combined 15 locations. It will start in 2023. Ultimately, the collaboration will expand across the United States to serve Medicare Advantage health plan members, regardless of which health plan seniors choose.

“This will allow Walmart to provide care to everyone over the age of 65 and anyone covered by the Medicare Advantage Plan,” said Cheryl Pegas, executive vice president of Walmart Health & Wellness. said in an interview, Dr. “Whoever the insurer is, this 10-year collaboration of his will enable us to provide needed care in Georgia and Florida first.”

Medicare Advantage contracts with the federal government to provide additional benefits and services to older adults, such as disease management and nurse help hotlines, and some also offer vision, dental care, and wellness programs. I’m here. And in recent years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have allowed Medicare Advantage plans to cover more supplemental benefits, making them more popular among seniors.

Across the country, health insurers escalated expansion into new areas, driving Medicare Advantage enrollments to record highs. According to a Chartis Group study earlier this year, the Medicare Advantage Plan will add more than 2 million of his beneficiaries in this 2022 covered year, and the program will help all Medicare beneficiaries pushed up to 45%.

Over time, this collaboration could mean hundreds of thousands of new customers for both Walmart and UnitedHealth Group. increase.

“We are on a journey to transform healthcare and connect more people to the right care at the right time,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement. The partnership will put patients at the center of healthcare by leveraging the strengths and complementary skill sets of both companies to facilitate access to quality care. ”

Dan Schumacher, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, UnitedHealth, said Optum’s role in the collaboration will empower Walmart clinicians through Optum’s vast data and relevant analytics designed to improve patient outcomes. said to do. His Optum division of UnitedHealth Group owns and operates hundreds of clinics, outpatient clinics, surgery centers and group clinics. We also perform analytical work that uses data from care plans and providers to improve care and outcomes.

Walmart health facilities will feature primary care services, emergency care including x-ray services, dental and eye care, and behavioral health services as part of a new model that has been replicated in several U.S. markets. I’m here.

This collaboration is expected to grow over time and spread to other markets across the country. This could mean a large influx of seniors to Walmart Health locations and more subscribers to UnitedHealth Group’s Medicare Advantage plans. The collaboration is also working on a new health plan created by UnitedHealth and Walmart.

Starting in January, the collaboration will include a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan in Georgia called “UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Walmart Flex.” And another plan called “Walmart Health Virtual Care” will launch in his January. This is “a network for commercial members of UnitedHealthcare’s Choice Plus PPO plan, offering another option for consumers to access care when and where they need it,” the company said Wednesday. said. .

“UnitedHealth Group and Walmart share a deep commitment to high-quality, affordable, primary care-driven services that address all health needs and improve health outcomes in ways that are convenient for patients.