UnitedHealth Group's OptumHealth, American Well Join Forces to Provide First Nationwide Service Offering Consumers 24/7 Online Access to Physicians

Consumers and employers now have another variable in determining which health plan to choose: online access to their healthcare providers. It will be interesting to see how the online visit would be incorporated into EHRs and PHRs other than as a text blob. While coverage for the visit is currently covered by a division of AIG, I would recommend providers contact their current medical malpractice carrier to review the state regulations as well as their primary policy.SV

Two Innovative Technologies, Powered by Real-time Information, Allow Individuals to Reach Doctors When Needed, and Doctors to Deliver Better-Informed Care

SAN DIEGO (June 3, 2009) — OptumHealth Inc. today announced that it is collaborating with American Well Corp. to offer the first nationwide service allowing individuals immediate access to physicians and clinicians via two-way video, secure chat, the phone or a corporation’s health care portal. The announcement was made during this year’s annual America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) conference in San Diego.

OptumHealth and American Well plan to leverage two proprietary technologies: OptumHealth’s eSync PlatformSM, which synchronizes health information to deliver prioritized, clinically appropriate and personalized health care information; and American Well’s Online Care platform, which enables real-time conversations between individuals and physicians. Together, the technologies will allow consumers on a state-by-state basis to talk with a local health care professional in a secure environment any time, anywhere; and physicians to expand their practices and care for their patients beyond a traditional office setting. The service will be available to employers, their employees and individual consumers.

OptumHealth