Residence care is a vital a part of UnitedHealth Group's (NYSE: UNH) mission to additional improve engagement with its members. That may be a conclusion from Friday's fourth quarter earnings figures.

Heather Cianfrocco, president of UnitedHealth Group's healthcare division Optum, identified that residence and community-based companies are an space during which UnitedHealth Group has invested closely in 2023.

In fact, one of many methods UnitedHealth Group bought behind residence care was by means of two main acquisitions.

Optum acquired residence well being care big LHC Group final 12 months in a $5.4 billion transaction. The corporate additionally made plans to amass Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED), one other main participant in residence care.

The decreased funding outlook for Medicare Benefit (MA) was a prime precedence for UnitedHealth Group because it impacted how the corporate ready for 2024 and past, in keeping with CEO Andrew Witty.

“We now have been profitable in delivering on our development commitments and investments, making ready for a shorter MA funding cycle over the following three years,” he mentioned on the decision.

Witty additionally mentioned the function that value-based care continues to play at UnitedHealth Group.

“Worth-based care is a confirmed method for us to beat lots of the well known shortcomings of a reimbursement-based healthcare system, equivalent to fragmented shopper experiences and incentives that may emphasize quantity over high quality,” he says. mentioned. “Our worth-based providing permits physicians to ship extra linked, coordinated and complete care, aligning incentives for customers, suppliers and well being plans, and delivering higher well being outcomes and decrease prices.”

On the finish of final 12 months, Optum served greater than 4 million sufferers in absolutely accountable, value-based preparations.

By the top of 2024, Optum will be capable to serve a further 750,000 sufferers beneath such preparations. That is double the variety of individuals the corporate served two years in the past, Witty famous.

“Even with the sturdy development and important investments we’ve got made, our market presence continues to be fairly modest and the capabilities are intensive,” he mentioned. “4 million sufferers have been served – only a small fraction of the numerous extra individuals whose well being will finally profit from these fashions of care.”

General, UnitedHealth Group's 2023 revenues grew 14.6% 12 months over 12 months to $371.6 billion.

Optum's full-year 2023 revenues had been $226.6 billion, up 24% year-over-year, in comparison with $182.8 billion in 2022.

“We now have elevated the variety of sufferers served beneath value-based care preparations by roughly 900,000 to greater than 4.1 million, expanded in-home companies, and broadened and deepened the degrees and kinds of care we offer,” mentioned John Rex, CFO of the UnitedHealth Group. the decision.