Optum concludes oversight for HealthCare.gov

Optum's rescue work on the federal government's HealthCare.gov website is done.

The technology division of Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group said Friday it won't continue work as the senior adviser overseeing the federal website, which was created as part of the federal Affordable Care Act.

When Optum was hired as senior adviser in October 2013, the website had become an embarrassment for the Obama administration.

In a matter of months, Optum was winning praise for a dramatic turnaround. The company was called on by states including Minnesota to help fix troubled insurance exchanges.

"The goal was to make HealthCare.gov a stable, reliable platform for people seeking coverage," said Matt Stearns, a vice president with Optum. "We did it."

The senior adviser work came with a contract valued at roughly $40 million per year. While that job is done, Optum will continue to work on other portions of the federal website.

HealthCare.gov serves as the health insurance exchange in more than 30 states. The federal health law called for the creation of marketplaces for all 50 states, designating the exchanges as the vehicle for individuals to obtain tax credits that discount premium costs.

Minnesota is one of more than a dozen states that opted to create its own health exchange, and asked Optum for advice in January 2014 on strategies for fixing its MNsure system. Optum's highest-profile work on state-based health exchanges, Stearns said, has come in Maryland, Massachusetts and Vermont.

Optum's ongoing work includes a federal data hub that helps confirm whether applicants qualify for tax credits or public health insurance programs.

Christopher Snowbeck • 612-673-4744

Twitter: @chrissnowbeck