Speak out planned over Optum’s ‘shocking’ healthcare overhaul in the Hudson Valley

Apr 14

Written By HVNY

Have a question about a medication prescribed to your kid? Need time to talk with your doctor about an issue? Question about a bill? Get in line … for a couple of hours, maybe even weeks.

“I’ve heard from disabled children unable to get treatment. Mothers waiting almost a year for a cancer diagnosis. Families sent into debt because of overcharges for treatments never even received. All so the largest health care company in the world can continue to make record breaking profits,” said Congressman Pat Ryan.

In a recent survey, over 36-percent of Optum patients said they've experienced serious customer service issues that have interfered with their care. Most commonly, they cited “intense difficulty” with Optum’s phone system, which no longer allows patients to call their doctor’s office directly. Instead, patients are sent to a call center with wait times that can extend up to several hours. In addition to causing significant frustration for patients, this has led some to miss out on critical medications.

“What Optum has done is put a corporate wall between my children and their physician and therefore their overall health,” said Naomi from Marlboro. “After the Optum takeover, their doctor became less attentive and less relaxed in our visits, and seemed to need to push us out the door to see the next patient. Their phone tree method of triaging patients is an absolute disaster. I have waited for hours and hours for a call-back while my kids are sick. I am working towards leaving them, though I've discovered that there are very few alternatives in the area and am nervous about finding the right fit for my kids since we're starting over from scratch.”

“I have been dealing with billing issues for over a year which started with my pregnancy. I am still waiting for a $660 refund from January of last year, where Optum kept billing my insurance incorrectly,” said Catherine Zagoreos of Poughkeepsie. “I have called numerous times and each time they tell me they will fix the issue, and check back in 30-45 days. When I call back the next technician tells me the last one made a mistake, and to call back in another 30-45 days. Over a year later I still keep calling, and still waiting for them to refund me for their billing mistakes. It’s exhausting.”

“I have had no shortage of negative experiences since Optum took over my medical practice. I tried for more than a year to get an appointment with a specialist and kept getting pushed off, my appointments were repeatedly cancelled,” said Kimberley from Tivoli. “Once I finally did get in, it turned out to be cancer. They made me wait a year to be seen, and it was cancer. I was incredibly lucky that it wasn’t too late. I’ve had to go without essential medication for days, despite calling in my refills, because Optum has messed up my prescriptions. Most recently, I went in for a torn rotator cuff. The doctor, who I could only see by walking in, said he needed to see me again in a week. That was nearly a month ago and I haven’t been able to get back in. I’ve been lucky so far, but someone is going to die if they don’t get these problems under control.”

Over 1,800 Optum patients responded to the recent survey from Congressman Pat Ryan. “I’ve already been in touch with Optum to get folks help on an individual basis in the short term, but that’s just a band-aid,” he added. Results from the survey have been sent to the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Trade Commission for further investigation.

Optum, who has spent over $31 billion to acquire healthcare companies across the country over the past two years, took over CareMount Medical in 2022, which served over 1.6 million patients in the tri-state area, and acquired Crystal Run Healthcare in 2023. According to the congressman’s office, Optum’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, also owns the largest insurance company, one of the three largest Pharmacy Benefit Managers, and the largest medical claims manager with over $14 billion reported in profits for 2024. UnitedHealth Group is currently facing multiple investigations by the Department of Justice, including an antitrust review of Optum’s acquisition of doctor’s offices that opened in February 2024.

“New Yorkers' access to quality healthcare is at risk as for-profit corporations take over doctors’ practices in our communities,” said George Gresham, President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest and fastest growing healthcare union in the nation. “Optum must prioritize patient care over profits and invest in good quality healthcare jobs which are essential to meeting New York’s healthcare needs.”

In addition to patients of Optum, several current and former Optum employees responded to the congressman’s survey, citing “concerns around the treatment of staff, nearly all of them reporting that they are overworked, undervalued, and forced to compromise patient care to keep up with Optum’s corporate standards.”

Community Speak Out planned

On Tuesday, April 15, 2025 from 5-6pm at the Town of Poughkeepsie Senior Center (14 Abes Way), Congressman Pat Ryan will hold a Community Speak Out on the negative impacts of healthcare consolidation in the Hudson Valley (specifically with Optum-owned practices) and cuts to Medicaid that could jeopardize the health and well-being of our neighbors. RSVP is required to attend: RSVP HERE

If cannot make the event, and you’ve been impacted by Optum, you can still fill out Congressman Ryan’s survey at https://patryan.house.gov/serving-you/optum-survey