Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Advancing Value Based Care and the Future of Optum Health with Krista Nelson
Mar 11, 2026
Krista Nelson, CEO of Optum Health and longtime UnitedHealth leader, discusses a shift to focused, integrated value-based care anchored in primary care. She highlights clinician support, tech like AI to cut admin work, Medicare Advantage funding concerns, and the need for cross-sector partnerships to scale better care.
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Refocusing On Integrated Value Based Care
- Optum Health will refocus on integrated, market-leading value-based care anchored in employed groups.
- Krista cites Houston: ~1M patients, 50+ settings, 4.5-star plan, 15–30% lower total cost of care and patient satisfaction scores in the 90s.
Houston Market Demonstrates Value Model
- Houston market shows the model's potential with nearly one million patients across primary, specialty, home care and surgery centers.
- There Optum achieves a 4.5-star plan, 15–30% lower total cost and patient satisfaction in the 90s.
Performance Varies Due To Funding And Growth
- Optum Health experiences inconsistent operating performance across markets due to funding headwinds and rapid risk membership growth.
- Variation stems from V28 funding changes, elevated medical trends, and contract misalignment with payer partners.