UnitedHealth Group subsidiary OptumHealth has launched a direct-to-consumer Web site meant to support a new brand for the health plan giant, as well as to push its individual health insurance products.

The site, myOptumHealth.com, has many of the same features as WebMD and other established consumer health sites. It includes the option to create and store a personal health record. It has a search-by-symptom tool, as well as information about medical tests and procedures. Like WebMD, myOptumHealth is supported in part by pharmaceutical advertising (www.myoptumhealth.com).

An external medical advisory board made up of 15 medical professionals reviews the articles, which are written both by staff medical professionals and freelancers, said Janet Bruno, MD, medical director of OptumHealth Consumer Solutions.

The fact that the United name or logo is absent from the site could be a sticking point for physicians who already have to help patients sort through often conflicting health advice from various sources on the Web.

"We're all in favor of providing consumers information about health, but it's important for the consumer to be aware of the source of the information," said Amber Pasricha Beck, spokeswoman for the California Medical Assn.

United said it wants to establish OptumHealth as a stand-alone brand.

"The reason we launched a consumer health portal is we are desirous of establishing a new direct-to-consumer brand platform," said Scott Heimes, senior vice president for OptumHealth Consumer Solutions. The new site is similar to the customized Web pages that OptumHealth offers some employers for their employees, Heimes said.

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