Once a pharmacy benefit management company, Optum has now grown under the UnitedHealth Group umbrella into a multifaceted line of business that brought in $182.8 billion in revenue in 2022. Just this year alone, Optum Health—the care-delivery arm of the enterprise—has added about 20,000 physicians to its ranks, bringing its total physician force to nearly 90,000, according to officials at an investor conference, as reported by Becker’s Hospital Review. Another 40,000 advanced practice providers are also employed or affiliated with Optum. Clinical teams serve 101 million patients at more than 2,200 sites of care in 25 states.
How did that happen? Turns out, Optum is the largest employer of physicians in the United States. With its hand in urgent care, primary care, specialty, and surgical services, the company is also planning to further integrate its recently acquired home care and mental health operations. Optum has essentially doubled in size in the past 5 years, acquiring everything from physician practices to revenue cycle management companies to health IT systems.