UnitedHealth Group laid off dozens of remote employees in healthcare technology and services from its Optum unit, giving two weeks notice in November. The affected employees were based in multiple states on the East Coast and in the Midwest, among UnitedHealth’s 400,000 U.S. employees. Layoffs are part of widespread cuts in 2025.

The healthcare giant has faced backlash and criticism over costly insurance, overbilling, denial of necessary care, and patient privacy violations. UnitedHealth Group and UnitedHealthcare have been under fire for consumer allegations. In December 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder received little sympathy, adding to the company’s negative image.

UnitedHealth Group released initial results of an independent audit, committing to transparency and improvement in the healthcare marketplace. They announced 23 action plans to enhance policy governance, monitoring processes, risk management, and discount processes. CEO Stephen Hemsley emphasized a commitment to transparency and improvement in a statement.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: UnitedHealth vows to be a better company amid layoffs