Health plan company Regence has issued data showing that its members save around $100 per visit when they use telemedicine versus an in-person visit. About $75 of the savings is the cost of the visit and the remainder is travel and wait time cost.
Like many companies, Nokia has found digital health rarely lives up to the hype. The company paid 170 million euros for Withings, a digital scale and weight management company, and acquired other digital health businesses, which it is now selling for a pittance and for which it is taking a 141 million euro write-off.
A PE firm is acquiring Asperion Health Resources, which helps hospitals and other providers get paid for complex claims which may have unusual sources of payment.
PE firm Marlin Equity Partners is buying Virgin Pulse, a wellness company, and merging it with Redbrick Health, another wellness company just acquired by Marlin.
Credit bureau TransUnion furthers its push into health care, buying Healthcare Payment Solutions, which helps providers optimize Medicare reimbursement.
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.