UnitedHealth Seeks to Expand Doctor Employment
UnitedHealth Group is preparing to change its approach to physician employment. The company intends to transition towards a model that emphasizes employed physicians, moving away from its current reliance on affiliated doctors.
Strategic Shift in Physician Employment
This strategic pivot aims to enhance UnitedHealth’s financial outcomes and operational efficiency. By consolidating its workforce of approximately 90,000 clinicians, the company seeks to exert greater control over its physicians.
Plans to Trim Network and Focus on Key Markets
New CEO Stephen Hemsley, appointed in May, shared details during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. The plan includes a reduction in the number of doctors within the Optum Health network.
- Emphasis on employed physicians over affiliated doctors
- Reduction of physician numbers in the Optum Health network
- Withdrawal from certain geographic markets
Industry experts note that this shift could facilitate improved management of healthcare services. With a more cohesive physician structure, UnitedHealth aims to position itself favorably within the competitive healthcare landscape.
