With an eye toward insurance exchanges, wellness firm targets consumer engagement

GOLDEN VALLEY, MN – UnitedHealth Group subsidiary OptumHealth is surfing the cresting wave of consumer-driven care. And it's making the strategic acquisitions to prove it.

OptumHealth, which works with payers, employers, the public sector and individuals to help spur wellness via behavioral and clinical health, online coaching, health savings accounts and more, announced in August that it would acquire Orlando-based Connextions, which uses business intelligence and analytics to help attract, connect with and retain consumers.

Officials say the acquisition will bolster OptumHealth's clinical expertise, and Connextions’ skill at building consumer relationships would also boost Optum Health’s mission to connect people with cost-effective care and the resources that help them achieve wellness.

Together, the two companies will help organizations design and implement successful health insurance exchange models that match individuals and businesses with offerings that fit their needs.

“Connextions’ consumer engagement expertise, combined with OptumHealth’s ability to connect people to the right care and health resources, can help our clients make the most of their opportunities to build strong relationships with consumers,” said Dawn Owens, OptumHealth's CEO.

“Connextions has become a partner of choice for health benefits providers and other consumer businesses who are looking to engage consumers, provide an exceptional customer experience and build loyalty,” added OptumHealth spokesman Brian Kane. “Connextions' ability to attract consumers and guide them to health products that meet their needs is a great fit with OptumHealth's ability to help people get well, stay well and live better with health conditions.”

Connextions has more than a decade of experience working with the country’s largest health plans, exchange hosts and consumer businesses. Its sales to service capabilities stem from its own bConnected technology, more than 4,000 licensed health agents and relationship experts, and analytics of member behaviors, which drive more than $3 billion in annual insurance premiums for its clients.

Connextions helps clients deliver trusted health choices and timely information to consumers, leading to a personalized experience and improved customer loyalty.

The firm's agents, with the help of analytics tools, work directly with consumers by phone, email, chat and text to understand each individual's circumstances and health goals. Based on a person’s needs, those agents provide navigational support for health products such as insurance plans, including education on plan features and usage. They also provide guidance on healthy behaviors and treatment options, including scheduling physician appointments as appropriate.

“As consumers are presented with more healthcare options, new opportunities are emerging for organizations committed to serving their needs and guiding them to quality health products and services,” said Kane. “OptumHealth and Connextions will collaborate to meet the growing demand for services that effectively engage consumers, support them in making better-informed decisions about their health coverage and care, and enable healthier lifestyles.”

“We look forward to providing our clients with the same dedicated focus and results they expect from Connextions, while helping them benefit from the additional opportunities this partnership with OptumHealth will bring to their vital consumer relationships,” said Jack LeFort, CEO at Connextions. “We also look forward to continuing Connextions’ recent growth in response to the increasing demand for consumer engagement solutions that deliver results for our clients and consumers.”

In response to its growth, Connextions has announced plans to add jobs at multiple U.S. locations, primarily in the South. More information on job opportunities and related career training opportunities are available at jobs.connextions.com.

The transaction is expected to close before the end of the third quarter of 2011. Once it does, Connextions will continue to operate under its own name, retain its management team and continue to grow its operations in core locations including Orlando, Fla., Charlotte and Concord, N.C., Louisville, Colo. and Jeffersonville, Ind.