GeoAccess, Inc. was the company that pioneered the use of geographic data to analyze the accessibility of health care networks. Prior to GeoAccess’ work in the early 1990s, the accessibility of health care networks was estimated by comparing zip codes of health care providers and consumers. GeoAccess developed software applications which allowed the accessibility of health care networks to be accurately measured based on the geographic coordinates of health care provider locations. For the first time, employers and government-sponsored programs could establish access standards to take the actual accessibility of health care providers into account when selecting health care networks. By the mid-1990s, GeoAccess-based analysis was the industry standard for measuring the accessibility of health care networks.
History
GeoAccess was founded in 1990 by Stu Bauman and Tom Lauerman, who both previously consulted for Tillinghast, a Towers Perrin company. The company was headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas. GeoAccess fostered an innovative culture, especially for a Kansas-based company in the early 1990s. The company used no job titles, nor provided private offices. The company also provided free lunches, fully stocked pantries with snacks and beverages, along with other creative employee benefits such as concierge services and sabbaticals. For three years beginning in 1996, Inc. magazine recognized GeoAccess as one of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the United States. The company was also the recipient of numerous technology and business awards. In 1999, Ernst & Young recognized Bauman and Lauerman with the Technology Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Central Midwest region. In 2000, GeoAccess acquired Sweetwater Health Enterprises, a medical credentialing service provider. In 2001, GeoAccess acquired two additional medical credentialing service providers: HealthCheck and VeriTrac. In June, 2002, GeoAccess was acquired by UnitedHealth Group. At the time of acquisition, GeoAccess had revenue of over $30 million and more than 300 employees.
