UnitedHealth latest to diversify with $4.9B purchase of DaVita

Health care giant UnitedHealth Group reached a deal to acquire a medical group with nearly 300 clinics, as well as 35 urgent-care centers and six outpatient surgery centers.

UnitedHealth said it would pay $4.9 billion for El Segundo, Calif.-based DaVita Medical Group, adding to its roster of medical services as the insurance giant expands.

The deal comes as many insurance companies aim to diversify their businesses to add more medical treatment offerings, data capability and other services. This week, insurance giant Aetna announced a deal to sell itself to drugstore chain CVS Health, which plans to expand its medical services following the deal.

DaVita Medical Group, a division of Fortune 500 company Davita Inc., treats about 1.7 million patients annually in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and the state of Washington. UnitedHealth’s Optum division will absorb DaVita operations, which include primary care, specialty medicine, urgent care and surgery.

Optum already has affiliations with about 30,000 doctors and hundreds of medical care operations.

“The physicians and clinicians of DaVita Medical Group provide outstanding patient care, and we look forward to supporting their continued success in serving their patients and communities,” OptumHealth CEO Andrew Hayek said in a statement.

Pairing insurers with health care providers is increasingly common as companies seek to improve patient care by better coordinating diagnosis, care plans, prescriptions and benefit management. CVS’ purchase of Aetna could eventually reshape basic health care for patients and customers. The company could seek to bolster its prescription drug business while nudging customers away from costly emergency room visits and toward affordable clinical care for routine ailments at the drug store.

JIM MONE/AP UnitedHealth Group is adding to its roster of medical services.