Exclusive Agreement with Brain Resource Allows for Improved Speed and Accuracy in Diagnosis and Treatment, Improving Outcomes While Reducing Costs

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., Jul 07, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- OptumHealth announced today that it has signed a three-year
agreement to exclusively license Brain Resource Ltd.'s behavioral
health technology in the U.S. managed care market. Brain Resource
provides an innovative Web-based assessment of an individual's "brain
health" that can be used by health professionals to make better
treatment decisions.

"This easy-to-use assessment provides useful information quickly
to use in providing people with the right treatment," said Gregory A.
Bayer, Ph.D., chief executive officer for OptumHealth's behavioral
solutions business. "This can improve outcomes for people while
helping them reduce their overall health care costs."

OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions will work with Brain Resource to
provide clinicians with a Web-based assessment that measures general
cognition (how people process information) and social cognition (how
people manage their emotions). This 40-minute assessment is based on
well-known and validated tests of memory, attention, executive
function, and response speed, and mood, social skills and emotional
resilience. Once the assessment is completed, within seconds, it is
compared with thousands of profiles in the Brain Resource
International Database - the largest international database
quantifying individual differences in brain function. Based on these
scores, a set of "decision rules" automatically recommends the most
appropriate treatment for the client. The doctor is provided this
"decision-support" for their final treatment considerations.

When used by trained clinicians as a tool that is part of the
total spectrum of health care, this unique information can be helpful
in the treatment decision-making process in several ways. The results
could help a physician select the appropriate class of medication for
someone who is depressed or determine when psychotherapy might be
helpful for that patient. For children, the assessment can provide
more insight into attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and
appropriate treatment options for the individual.

"The partnership of OptumHealth and Brain Resource begins the
transformation of mental health services to more personalized medicine
with recommendations tailored to individuals' functioning," Bayer
said. "It continues our application of ever-more effective
interventions to improve our member's health and well-being."

OptumHealth will incorporate the Brain Resource assessment as a
part of its core products to help clinicians identify at-risk
patients, select the most effective treatment, provide direct
measurement of treatment outcomes and encourage patients to engage
with providers and take better care of their mental health.
Participation in the assessment will be completely voluntary and
results will - as with other OptumHealth member information - be used
in accordance with all privacy laws and in the proper professional
contexts.

"This is an important step in the right direction for personalized
medicine," said Evian Gordon, Ph.D., chief executive officer for Brain
Resource. "OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions is the perfect innovative
partner to bring these capabilities to the behavioral health industry
- not only to better serve the individual, but to also better serve
primary care providers, employers, public sector entities and health
plans."

OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions' capabilities are designed to
improve outcomes and lower overall medical costs for customers. These
capabilities include:

-- Helping members with chronic medical conditions manage
potential behavioral health issues that might impede medical
treatment and clinical improvement

-- Reducing short-term mental health disability-claims costs by
helping disabled members return to work quickly

-- Analyzing a customer's pharmacy claims data to pinpoint
opportunities to help him or her adhere to medical
prescriptions, and to identify problem-prescribing patterns

-- Improving outcomes through employee assistance programs;
work-life resources such as financial, legal, eldercare and
childcare services; and support from master's-level
specialists that work with members to help them achieve their
wellness goals

-- Creating greater access to care through telephonic, online
services and online self-directed interactive wellness
programs

About OptumHealth

OptumHealth helps individuals navigate the health care system,
finance their health care needs and achieve their health and
well-being goals. The company's personalized health advocacy and
engagement programs tap a unique combination of capabilities that
encompass care solutions, behavioral solutions, specialty benefits and
financial services. Serving more than 61 million people, OptumHealth
is the nation's largest health and wellness company. It is a business
unit of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH). More information about
OptumHealth can be found at www.optumhealth.com.

Brain Resource Ltd.

Brain Resource is a publicly listed international company with 20
years of integrative neuroscience research experience. There are more
than 120 sites around the world using aspects of its standardized
methodology. An independent scientific network has published more than
150 papers using the Brain Resource International Database. Clients
include many of the major global pharmaceutical companies. More
information about Brain Resource can be found at
www.brainresource.com.

SOURCE: OptumHealth

OptumHealth
Brad Lotterman
Senior Manager, External Communications
714-445-0453
brad.lotterman@optumhealth.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008