CalRHIO, California's statewide health information exchange, has expanded its coverage as well as its appeal to other potential paying users by capturing UnitedHealthcare as its first national healthcare market member.

UnitedHealthcare, based in Minnesota, provides insurance plans and benefits to more than 25 million people across the U.S. In California, it will add information on around 2 million people to the CalRHIO database.

The deal is significant for CalRHIO's future as it moves away from government grants, federal stimulus dollars and foundation money that has mostly sustained the organization since its startup in 2005.

That will also depend on being able to provide information on as many patients as possible so that hospitals and other providers have access to a broad aggregate of data on which they can base their delivery of health care services.

"UnitedHealthcare's leadership in supporting CalRHIO's business model is a major step toward ensuring that we can finance and sustain HIE for communities across California," said Molly Coye, chair of the CalRHIO board. "Our intention in future stages is to extend HIE to physician offices through the state."

The expectation is that the announcement of UnitedHealthcare's membership will help attract many other organizations to CalRHIO, said Karen Hunt, the organization's communications director.

CalRHIO will work like a utility, providing services for its members who only pay when they use them. The benefits for health plans and other users of the exchange come through the savings they realize from the better information that physicians have available to make their medical decisions.

CalRHIO will begin its rollout this summer in Orange County emergency departments, in collaboration with the Orange Partnership Regional Information Organization (OCPRHIO).

UnitedHealthcare apparently considered several other California HIEs before settling on CalRHIO.

"We believe CalRHIO has the right technology and business model to be successful in the long term." said Sam Ho, UnitedHealthcare's executive vice prresident and chief medical officer.