Human arsenal, as we know, is loaded to the brim, and yet a deeper look would reveal how nothing there is more valuable than our tendency to grow on a consistent basis. This tendency, in particular, has already allowed us to hit upon some huge milestones, with technology appearing as a major part of the stated group. The reason why technology stays a cut above many of our other achievements is inspired by its unprecedented skill-set that gave us a shot at all those possibilities we could have never even imagined otherwise. However, the whole runner was also very much centered on the manner in which we used the stated skills. The latter component, in fact, did a lot to give the creation a spectrum-wide presence, including a perfectly-timed appearance on our healthcare block. Technology’s foray into healthcare boasted such an ingenious timing, as it came right when the sector was beginning to struggle against its own obsolete structure. The reality, however, will change dramatically under the new regime, but even after that happens, the famous medtech discipline will continue to improve in one capacity or the other. If anything, this dynamic has only turned more and more evident on the back of all our recent advancements, and a newly-formed partnership sets it up for a whole new leap altogether.
Walmart and UnitedHealth Group have officially announced a 10-year partnership, which is designed to enable several Walmart Health facilities in regards to offering value-based care. According to certain reports, the collaboration will start in 2023, initially targeting around 15 locations across Florida and Georgia. A notable part of this collaboration is the access Walmart will have of Optum, a UnitedHealth-owned business, and its analytical prowess. Now, while these analytics are expected to help on a broader level, they will specifically bolster Walmart Health clinicians’ bid to deliver more value-based care to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Apart from it, the partners will also introduce a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan in Georgia called UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Walmart Flex.
“UnitedHealth Group and Walmart share a deep commitment to high-quality and affordable primary care,” said UnitedHealth Group. “Working together, we will bring Optum’s distinctive high-quality care model to more Medicare Advantage members in communities across the country … Optum Health, a UnitedHealth Group business, will provide Walmart Health clinicians with a suite of analytic and decision support tools to help develop their capability to deliver effective, value-based care.”
Walmart, on its part, has been trying into the healthcare game for a while now. The retail giant’s biggest effort, of course, came when it formally launched a medical division in Walmart Health, which as of today, offers primary and urgent care, lab services, X-ray and diagnostics, behavioral health, dental, optometry, and hearing services. While the division is currently active in over 27 US locations, this partnership does a lot to signal a much bigger footprint for the future.
