First my heart and prayers go out to all who lost their jobs. Due to changes in Medicare, Optum is looking to 3% cost increase and 5% revenue decrease. Unfortunately, People who are the most important asset of the organization is Optum’s easiest approach to reducing cost.
Optum will eliminate any unprofitable or duplicated service offerings including the departments supporting those functions. Then they will target VP, Directors, and longtime high paid employees and then move in their own leadership and culture and practices. Then they will comb throughout all departments thinning out the heard leaving those remaining to support and maintain the same level of support. Then knowing that their competitors are also faced with the same challenges will keep the minimal to get
thighs running think they are making progress going after low hanging fruit. Long term plans are to keep 40% FTE and 60% contractors since they can easily be eliminated when services are no longer needed. The thing they overlook is that those that remain behind will eventually leave. My experience is that people don’t leave good organizations but bad management. For those left behind please update your resumes because it’s just a matter of time. For those that lost their jobs believe me there is life after Optum.
God Bless, Inpray for you all.
1 reply
Totally agree. If you were not affected on 8/10, wait it out to get what little severance you will get. But update your resume now and start thinking about what comes next. This isn't an optum issue...it is a national healthcare crisis. I have witnessed the decline as a RN for almost 20 years. It's not that organizations don't care about the patient or safety...it's literally that the well is dry. With pay for performance model, quality compassionate care took a major backseat. I don't know how other countries do it...but the entire system needs an overall. For now...direct primary care is the focus because no one can make money from the insurance companies. I would find a different career...if only I knew what that should be! Years of abuse in the system...and I still need to work many many more years doing something!