OptumHealth, a subsidiary of Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group, helps health plans manage expensive, complex medical cases such as transplants. OptumHealth saves money in two ways - by negotiating sometimes steep discounts from hospitals, and by directing patients to hospitals that report the best outcomes.
COSTS
Average cost of a transplant: $246,000 - $1,000,000*
OptumHealth average fees: 1-5%
SAVINGS
Average hospital/physician contracted discount: 46%
Average savings due to better outcomes: 15-20%
Final average cost to health plan: $93,000 - $465,000
*Average transplant costs range from $246,400 for kidney to $1 million for intestine with other organs. Sources: *Milliman, OptumHealth
