UnitedHealth's Helios acquisition helps it expand into workers comp

UnitedHealth Group's recent acquisition of workers compensation pharmacy benefit manager Helios will help diversify the insurer's portfolio, an analyst tells Business Insurance. OptumRx Inc., UnitedHealth's PBM unit, acquired Helios on Jan. 15, spokespeople for the companies have confirmed. The deal had been reported to be worth as much as $1.7 billion.

In an emailed statement to Business Insurance, Wedbush Securities Inc. analyst Sarah James said there's a "proven economic benefit" to integrating workers compensation with broader health benefits, adding that insurers such as United also benefit from expanding their PBM product, given projected growth in the specialty pharmaceutical industry. Article