The publication’s investigation reveals that the insurer quietly paid nursing homes bonuses to reduce hospital transfers, a cost-cutting tactic that saved the company millions. But the insurance giant says the Department of Justice previously reviewed the allegations and declined to pursue the matter.
In the latest troubles for UnitedHealth, the Guardian exclusive said the company embedded its own medical teams in approximately 2,000 nursing homes and pushed them to cut care expenses for residents. To reduce hospital transfers, the company offered payments to nursing homes, the Guardian said. In some cases, the delays in care risked the health of residents. The incidents, according to one nurse practitioner who filed a congressional complaint about the practices, are “hidden, downplayed, and minimized.”
The report is based on the Guardian’s review of confidential corporate and patient records that the media outlet said it obtained through sources, public record requests, and court rules, as well as interviews with current and former UnitedHealth and nursing home employees and two whistleblower declarations submitted to Congress.
The newspaper investigation led to UnitedHealth’s shares dropping more than six percent on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
But in a statement, UnitedHealth Group said the U.S. Department of Justice investigated the allegations, interviewed witnesses, and obtained thousands of documents that demonstrated significant factual inaccuracies. The company said that after reviewing all the evidence during its multi-year investigation, the Department of Justice declined to pursue the matter.