Family Seeks Answers on Nursing Home Care Amidst UnitedHealth Group Investigation

Allegations Against UnitedHealth Group

• 🚨 UnitedHealth Group is accused of incentivizing nursing homes with bonuses for reducing patient hospital transfers.
• 🏛️ Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden have demanded records from the insurance company, which have yet to be fully provided.
• ⚖️ The Department of Justice has reportedly found no evidence of wrongdoing, according to UnitedHealth Group's statement.

Personal Experience with the OPTIM Program

• 👨‍👦 Vincent Cinque shares his experience after his mother switched to United Health's OPTIM program, expecting individualized care.
• 🧠 His mother, who has a traumatic brain injury, was moved to a locked dementia unit despite not having a dementia diagnosis.
• 🏥 Cinque is working with Disability Rights New York to have his mother moved from the unit he believes she does not belong in.

Concerns Over Concealed Diagnoses and Care Delays

• 📉 Cinque suspects that a potentially harmful diagnosis for his 87-year-old grandmother may have been concealed by the nursing home for up to 8 months.
• ⏳ He believes this concealment was to minimize hospital transfers, rather than prioritizing his grandmother's best interests.
• 💔 Urgent orthopedic care for his mother has been halted for nearly four years, with Cinque struggling to navigate the system as a concerned son and grandson.

Systemic Issues in Nursing Home Care

• 📈 Cinque observes that while individuals within the system may care, the overall system appears to prioritize profits over patient needs.
• 🗣️ He emphasizes that residents in nursing homes are not just elderly individuals unable to speak; many are younger, like his 64-year-old mother.
• 💪 Cinque advocates for greater transparency and better care for vulnerable populations, noting the system can feel designed to discourage advocates.