In 2021, Optum acquired Landmark Health in a deal valued at approximately $3.5 billion. Landmark was a leading provider of in-home health care services for patients with complex, chronic conditions, including in-home primary and palliative care. The company was founded by Adam Boehler, a former director of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and a vocal proponent of expanding private Medicare Advantage plans. Landmark had a number of prominent private equity and venture capital investors who likely benefited from this acquisition.

This transaction was part of UnitedHealth Group’s vertical integration into health care delivery, enabling the company to deliver more of its clinical services in the home. 

As Fierce Healthcare reported, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said during the company’s second quarter 2024 earnings call with financial analysts that its workers made 2.5 million home visits in 2023 and “identified 300,000 seniors with emerging health needs that were previously undiagnosed.” 

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Other related transactions include the $5.4 billion acquisition of LHC Health, a provider of home care services, and Prospero Health, a provider of palliative care services, both in 2023. Optum merged Prospero with Landmark to create a more integrated service offering.

A LinkedIn post from Optum at Home CEO and founder of Prospero, Douglas Wenners, touting the companies' integrated care model that is "changing health care for good.”

Landmark Health has faced headwinds as part of Optum, due in part to the resource-intensive nature of the care its patients require and its margin profile. In 2024, Landmark Health was re-structured to shrink its geographic footprint. It exited 18 markets across various states, impacting approximately 2,000 employees and significantly reducing the number of patients served.​

Subsidiary
highlights

RVO Health is a massive, privately held digital media and marketing company that reaches more than 300 million people every month and manages more than 100 news and information sites.

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OptumInsight leverages data analytics, artificial intelligence and predictive modeling to assist with claims. It's revenues reached  nearly $20 billion in 2023, a 29.8% increase over the prior year.

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Term
glossary

Medicare Advantage (MA)

A type of private health insurance plan that provides Medicare benefits. These plans are offered by private insurers, such as UnitedHealthcare, that receive taxpayer-funded payments from the government to manage Medicare enrollees’ health care.

Why it matters: UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. Research has shown that companies like UnitedHealth profit from overbilling Medicare through complex risk adjustment maneuvers while also restricting patient care through prior authorization and limited provider networks.

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