Johnson & Johnson acquires HealthMedia to lower health care costs
Health care product giant Johnson & Johnson announced that it has completed its acquisition of HealthMedia, a company that specializes in online health counseling and Web interventions.
HealthMedia is a unique property on the Web. It combines its technology and behavioral science to emulate a health coach in a browser. The site's suite of services provides automated coaching for topics on wellness, disease management, behavioral health, and medication adherence that the company claims will help reduce health bills. Because of that, Johnson & Johnson believes the addition of HealthMedia to its properties will improve the company's standing in the health care community.
"It is exciting for Johnson & Johnson to establish a new business platform to offer customers meaningful products and services focused on wellness and prevention that reduce health care costs, and at the same time, deliver new growth for our company," William C. Weldon, Johnson & Johnson CEO, said in a statement. "Global health care systems, including governments, employers, payers, and individuals, are seeking new solutions to more effectively manage spiraling costs of care. Our establishment of a Wellness & Prevention platform recognizes our conviction that a comprehensive solution must begin long before the onset of illness, and that investing in wellness and prevention now can avoid more costly health care expenses later."
HealthMedia will maintain its offices in Michigan and will not be forced to lay off employees or engage in any management restructuring.
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
