Though most of the system’s functionality was restored by April, the company is undertaking the task of informing healthcare organizations and other entities whose data was breached.
UnitedHealth Group also faced more regulatory scrutiny in the first half of 2024, and remained confident in its Medicare Advantage business. Here are 10 key UnitedHealth stories from the past six months:
- In June, Change Healthcare started informing healthcare organizations, insurers and other entities whose data was breached in the February ransomware attack. Information potentially exposed in the attack includes names, addresses, health insurance information and Social Security numbers. To date, there is no evidence that medical charts or full medical histories were leaked in the breach. UnitedHealth previously said data stolen in the hack likely includes a “substantial portion” of people in America.
- A federal lawsuit from UnitedHealth Group against two former executives was dismissed. The lawsuit alleged the company’s former chief scientific officer and the former chief technology officer of Optum Labs stole and used confidential company information to create their own competing product for diabetes management.
- A possible divestiture buyer backed out of a deal with UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys that aimed to make a proposed acquisition of the home health company more palatable to regulators.
- UnitedHealth Group executives said they’re not planning any major shakeups to their Medicare Advantage business as other insurers plan to pull back their offerings in 2025. Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, told investors medical cost trends and rates from CMS are in line with the company’s expectations. Rivals, including CVS and Humana, have said they could see declines in membership as they cut benefits to account for rising medical costs.
- UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty testified before House and Senate committees on the cyberattack on Change Healthcare on May 1. Mr. Witty told lawmakers the decision to pay hackers a $22 million ransom was his.
- A co-branded Medicare Advantage plan offered by UnitedHealthcare and Walmart will come to an end amid the retailer’s decision to close its health centers and end virtual care services. A UnitedHealthcare spokesperson told Becker’s the company is “exploring new ways to collaborate” with Walmart.
- Major insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, made millions in fees by using MultiPlan, a data analytics firm, to determine how much to pay providers for out-of-network claims, an April investigation from the New York Times found. UnitedHealthcare has made $1 billion in fees annually from out-of-network savings programs, according to the Times. MultiPlan said the investigation missed “the fundamental economics of the healthcare system.” UnitedHealthcare told the Times MultiPlan’s services help control healthcare costs for employers.
- Oregon state regulators allowed Optum to bypass a state review of its purchase of Corvallis Clinic, citing an immediate need to maintain the provider’s financial solvency. Corvallis Clinic includes 11 clinics, an ASC and more than 110 providers.
- The Justice Department launched an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group, The Wall Street Journal reported in February. Investigator questions during the interviews have asked about the relationship between UnitedHealthcare and Optum, according to the Journal.
- In February, a ransomware group breached Change Healthcare, the largest claims clearinghouse in the U.S. The hack led to widespread disruptions across the healthcare industry, and resulted in a $1.4 billion loss for UnitedHealth in the first quarter of 2024.
