Hartford Business Journal Special Editions

2014 | Doing Business in Connecticut 81 SPONSORED REPORT Cohen-Smith, regional vice president of Unit- edHealthcare Medicare in Connecticut. Medicare Advantage offers benefits that are not available to traditional Medi- care beneficiaries. "We can offer benefits like dental, vision and fitness," Cohen-Smith said. The program also gives seniors finan- cial peace of mind. There is a maximum out-of-pocket amount individuals would have to pay in a given year, even if their out-of-pocket expenses should exceed this. Another benefit UnitedHealthcare offers through its Medicare Advantage plans is closer collaboration with physicians in its network to encourage better health care. UnitedHealth- care can provide physicians patient-specific information and data to ensure individuals are getting needed care, including wellness and follow-up visits and prescriptions. "We are working closely with our physicians," said Cohen-Smith, "as we are all committed to helping seniors live healthier lives." For Connecticut residents who have traditional Medicare — also known as Original Medicare — UnitedHealthcare offers Medicare Supplemental insurance, which covers health care costs not reimbursed by Medicare. Part- nering with OptumRx — UnitedHealthcare's pharmacy benefits manager — UnitedHealth- care offers Part D prescription drug plans for Medicare beneficiaries with affordable formu- laries and simplified administration. Optum: Helping make the health system work better for everyone Optum is a health services company that supports virtually all participants in health care — those who need care, those who provide care, those who pay for care and those who innovate for care. With a combined national workforce of nearly 60,000, Optum serves 80,000 physi- cian practices and non-hospital facilities, 5,000 hospital facilities, 350 government agencies, 300 health plans, 40 percent of Fortune 500 employees and 20 percent of United States consumers. Hartford is the hub of Optum's busi- ness in the Northeast, with many leaders calling Connecticut home. "Connecticut is a key location for us and provides a work base for more than 2,000 Optum employ- ees, including myself," said Mike Matteo, Optum's chief growth officer. In January 2013 Optum and Mayo Clinic founded Optum Labs, a collaborative research and innovation center located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since then, Optum Labs has announced eight addi- tional partners, six located in the Northeast including Boston Scientific Corporation, Boston University School of Public Health, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Pfizer Inc., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Tufts Medical Center. Optum Labs' partners come together in a collaborative environment to focus on the shared goal of improving patient care. "Optum is dedicated to helping make the health care system work better for everyone," said Matteo. "We serve the entire system with a focus on improving how health care is delivered and man- aged, how information shapes and drives improvements in the system, and how technology can enable better care. Our goal is to support better health and cost outcomes, and most importantly, healthi- er people and communities." Leading the way: The future of health care The transformation of health care has been a top priority on the national — and state — agenda for years, and will con- tinue to be for years to come. Forecasts of unending, out-of-control, unsustain- able cost increases are now giving way to a more optimistic picture, one in which innovation, engagement, alignment and individual health ownership are at the forefront. In the heart of Hartford, United- Health Group — with its two companies — UnitedHealthcare and Optum — is at the very center of this effort, confidently leading the way to a modernized frame- work for optimal health care delivery and a healthier Connecticut. Stephen Farrell, CEO of UnitedHealth- care of New England (center), with Dr. Paul Dworkin, executive vice president of Connecticut Children Medical Cen- ter's Office for Community Child Health (OCCH) (left) and Martin Gavin, presi- dent and CEO of Connecticut Children's. UnitedHealthcare is a long-term supporter of the Connecticut Masters' Games, the state's largest Olympic-style sporting event for amateur athletes ages 50 and over. "As Americans live longer lives, it is increasing- ly important for older adults to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and staying active is an important part of that," said UnitedHealth- care's Dr. Dennis Hsieh. 2013 Masters' Games gold-medalists celebrate their wins. CONNECTICUT CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVES UNITEDHEALTHCARE $1-MILLION GRANT TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO QUALITY PEDIATRIC HEALTH CARE U nitedHealthcare presented a $1-million grant to the Connecti- cut Children's Medical Center's Office for Community Child Health (OCCH) to help enhance care delivery and address critical public health issues for children. These issues include child development, wellness, and chronic conditions such as asthma and obesity. Connecticut Children's OCCH is a first-of-its-kind model for provid- ing community-based, coordinated care for children with an emphasis on healthy child development, wellness, and disease and injury prevention. OCCH is developing and testing health service delivery models that address community, state and health system needs. Many new programs will be piloted in Hartford with the goal of seeing them replicated on state and national levels. "We are proud to partner with UnitedHealthcare to support pediatri- cians' lifelong learning and professional development," said Dr. Paul Dworkin, director of OCCH. "Together, we will enhance the quality and capacity of pediatric care to address an array of critical health issues, and help promote the healthy development of children in Connecticut and nationwide."

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