AbleTo vet Trip Hofer is stepping into a new role as CEO of OptumHealth’s Behavioral Health Solutions.
Hofer comes to this position after serving as digital mental health company AbleTo’s CEO for four years. During Hofer’s tenure at AbleTo, Optum purchased the startup for roughly $470 million.
Hofer’s new role, which was first spotted by Axios Pro, was confirmed on Hofer’s Linkedin account. OptumHealth did not respond to a request for comment from Behavioral Health Business prior to publishing this story.
OptumHealth is insurer UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) health services division. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based organization has over 127 million members.
Hofer has a long history in the health care industry. His experience includes multiple roles at CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), including a stint as vice president of product development at CVS Speciality. More recently, he served as the general manager for CVS Health’s NovoLogix.
Hofer has worked for OptumHealth before, coming over to the company during the AbleTo acquisition. He has previously served as the organization’s COO and general manager of well-being, as well as a senior vice president of employer solutions.
Optum has been increasing its footprint in the behavioral health space in recent years.
In March, Optum acquired outpatient mental health provider Refresh Mental Health. Refresh brought to the table 300 locations in 37 states. At the time of the announcement, Dr. Wyatt Decker, CEO of Optum Health, said that the move would help Optum’s value-based care capabilities.
Optum’s venture arm has also been actively investing in the mental health sector. In 2020, Optum Ventures participated in virtual mental health platform Mindstrong’s $100 million Series C funding round.
In 2022, Optum reported a large increase in behavioral health appointments. In fact, the company reported a 130% increase in behavioral health visits at Optum compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Editor’s note: The terms of the Refresh Mental Health M&A have not yet been disclosed.
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