UnitedHealth's Optum360 unit and the Mayo Clinic have started a provider-payer partnership to lower costs and improve the patient experience by streamlining their revenue management, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In addition to its ability to simplify both companies' billing activities, prior authorization processes and claims editing functions, the deal includes the planned rollout of a "next-generation patient cost estimator." The tool would use technology to estimate how much of a visit or procedure a patient's insurance would cover and what the copay would be, a Mayo Clinic official said in a statement. The companies expect the partnership to "create a patient financial experience that is on par with Mayo Clinic's exceptional patient care experience," according to Optum360's CEO Ron Jones. Read the full story at FierceHealthPayer