Former employees with UnitedHealth Group's Optum and its subsidiaries took to social media in August regarding an unknown number of layoffs they say occurred across the company.
Becker's has not confirmed an exact number of employees who may have been terminated or when layoffs would be effective, and UnitedHealth Group has declined to provide specific information. UnitedHealth employs more than 400,000 people worldwide.
"We continually review the capabilities and services we offer to meet the growing and evolving needs of our businesses and the people we serve," UnitedHealth Group previously told Becker's in a statement. "As always, we will support affected team members with job placement resources and seek to deploy them where possible to any open roles within the company."
Among the known layoffs in August, positions included directors, regional vice presidents and senior managers. For example, a regional senior security manager for Optum's Pacific West region said he was "part of the worldwide reductions in force by UnitedHealth Group and Optum" and the director of operations for Optum in Washington state posted that he was laid off after 10 years with the company.
Three more recent updates:
1. A former senior manager with Optum told The Daily Herald Sept. 8 the company laid off about 67 employees from The Everett Clinic and The Polyclinic in Seattle, which Optum purchased in 2019. Specific positions and departments named in the report included nurses, internal couriers, and human resources.
2. Morgantown, W.Va.-based MedExpress Urgent Care, a chain of urgent care clinics owned by Optum, is laying off all nursing positions at nearly 150 facilities nationwide, nurse.org reported Aug. 21. In response, Morgantown-based Mon Health System said it welcomes those nurses to apply for "multiple opportunities" within the four-hospital system.
3. San Antonio-based WellMed, a Medicare-focused network of physicians and clinics purchased by Optum in 2011, laid off an unknown number of employees, the San Antonio Express-News reported Aug. 14. At least 170 people were terminated in the San Antonio area, according to the report.