Here are nine updates from Optum, the parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, that Becker’s has reported on since Sept. 1:
1. The company plans to lay off 572 employees and shut down clinics in the state, according to four WARN notices filed in October. Some layoffs could begin as early as Feb. 2, 2026. Optum Care will eliminate 370 positions, while Optum Medical Care, Optum Services and Optum Select Management reported additional layoffs scheduled between February and March.
2. Executives said they are refocusing on the company’s core value-based care model after the business drifted from its original mission, according to an Oct. 29 earnings call. CEO Patrick Conway, MD, said the strategy had “strayed from the initial intent of the model,” leading to an oversized provider network, operational inconsistencies and overreliance on less-aligned affiliated physicians.
3. Optum Health’s revenue remained flat year over year at $25.9 billion, but earnings from operations dropped to $255 million, a 1% operating margin, down from $2.2 billion and an 8.3% margin in the third quarter of 2024.
4. A November Health Affairs study found that UnitedHealthcare pays Optum-owned physician practices 17% more than rival insurers do, relative to payments made to non-Optum practices. In markets where UnitedHealthcare holds 25% or more market share, that difference jumps to 61%. The study suggests UnitedHealthcare may be inflating payments to Optum to meet ACA medical loss ratio requirements, thereby reducing rebate obligations and artificially achieving mandated thresholds.
“UnitedHealthcare pays Optum Health consistent with other providers in the market, which is essential for staying competitive. The study, funded by groups with known biases, cherry-picks data and is flat-out wrong,” UnitedHealth Group told Healthcare Dive.
5. The company named Ben Eklo chief financial officer, effective Nov. 1. Mr. Eklo has been with the organization for 18 years, a spokesperson told Becker’s. He replaces Roger Connor, who was named Optum CFO in May.
6. Atrius Health, based in Newton, Mass., intends to acquire Acton Medical Associates, a 45-provider primary care group in the Boston area serving nearly 37,000 patients. Atrius, acquired by Optum in 2022, currently cares for more than 749,000 patients across 29 locations.
7. In August, SCA Health said it acquired Exton, Pa.-based U.S. Digestive Health from Amulet Capital Partners in January. U.S. Digestive Health includes over 250 gastroenterology providers across 40 sites and 24 ASCs in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
8. Also in August, Optum acquired the 200-provider Holston Medical Group in Kingsport, Tenn. The group operates more than 70 locations across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.9. Sandeep Dadlani was named CEO of Optum Insight, the company’s data and analytics business. He has served as UnitedHealth Group’s chief digital and technology officer since 2022. His appointment follows the May selection of Dhivya Suryadevara as CEO of Optum Insight.
