- Optum and SSM Health unveiled a new partnership to address the accessibility and affordability of health care. The partnership will encompass numerous areas including inpatient care management, revenue cycle management, and digital transformation. SSM and Optum’s parent company UnitedHealth Group will also jointly invest in community health initiatives with the goal of advancing health equity. The investments will focus on addressing health equity gaps and other priorities in SSM’s key Midwest communities. (Press release here)
- A new study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that one-third of U.S. workers saw the cost of health care rise in 2021. According to the EBRI’s poll, four in 10 of the respondents whose health costs increased have had trouble paying bills or covering basic living expenses. The increase in health care expenditure is partly due to the reopening of many in-person medical options, given that the pandemic last year closed health facilities. (Article here)
October 8, 2021
Payers