George Joseph
@georgejoseph94.bsky.social
Investigative reporter for The Guardian US
“By their fruits, you will know them.”
Signal: 929-486-4865
Email: george.joseph@theguardian.com
“By their fruits, you will know them.”
Signal: 929-486-4865
Email: george.joseph@theguardian.com
13/ “No one is truly investigating when a patient suffers harm. Absolutely no one,” said one current UnitedHealth nurse practitioner who recently filed a congressional complaint about the nursing home program. “These incidents are hidden, downplayed and minimized.”
May 21, 2025 at 2:41 PM
13/ “No one is truly investigating when a patient suffers harm. Absolutely no one,” said one current UnitedHealth nurse practitioner who recently filed a congressional complaint about the nursing home program. “These incidents are hidden, downplayed and minimized.”
12/ The company declined to say whether he was ever sent to the hospital or what happened to him, citing patient confidentiality rules.
But these cases raise the question: what happens when patients aren’t hospitalized in the dark?
But these cases raise the question: what happens when patients aren’t hospitalized in the dark?
May 21, 2025 at 2:41 PM
12/ The company declined to say whether he was ever sent to the hospital or what happened to him, citing patient confidentiality rules.
But these cases raise the question: what happens when patients aren’t hospitalized in the dark?
But these cases raise the question: what happens when patients aren’t hospitalized in the dark?
11/ The log suggests Keep never received proper stroke treatment in a hospital.
His symptoms were logged on a Saturday night. 18 hours later, UnitedHealth’s work up for him was still “pending” and it didn’t call for a stroke examination at a hospital.
His symptoms were logged on a Saturday night. 18 hours later, UnitedHealth’s work up for him was still “pending” and it didn’t call for a stroke examination at a hospital.
May 21, 2025 at 2:40 PM
11/ The log suggests Keep never received proper stroke treatment in a hospital.
His symptoms were logged on a Saturday night. 18 hours later, UnitedHealth’s work up for him was still “pending” and it didn’t call for a stroke examination at a hospital.
His symptoms were logged on a Saturday night. 18 hours later, UnitedHealth’s work up for him was still “pending” and it didn’t call for a stroke examination at a hospital.
10/ But instead of sending Keep straight to the hospital, his nurse called a UnitedHealth employee who formulated a plan of care that called for bloodwork and giving him an aspirin.
Multiple doctors told us this didn’t make sense, but it did mean they didn’t rush him to hospital
Multiple doctors told us this didn’t make sense, but it did mean they didn’t rush him to hospital
May 21, 2025 at 2:40 PM
10/ But instead of sending Keep straight to the hospital, his nurse called a UnitedHealth employee who formulated a plan of care that called for bloodwork and giving him an aspirin.
Multiple doctors told us this didn’t make sense, but it did mean they didn’t rush him to hospital
Multiple doctors told us this didn’t make sense, but it did mean they didn’t rush him to hospital
9/ In 2019, Keep was experiencing forgetfulness + drooping on the right side of his face – “possible stroke symptoms”, according to a confidential UnitedHealth log.
Strokes require immediate hospitalization. When blood flow to the brain is interrupted, brain cells quickly die.
Strokes require immediate hospitalization. When blood flow to the brain is interrupted, brain cells quickly die.
May 21, 2025 at 2:40 PM
9/ In 2019, Keep was experiencing forgetfulness + drooping on the right side of his face – “possible stroke symptoms”, according to a confidential UnitedHealth log.
Strokes require immediate hospitalization. When blood flow to the brain is interrupted, brain cells quickly die.
Strokes require immediate hospitalization. When blood flow to the brain is interrupted, brain cells quickly die.
8/ UnitedHealth denies this + says its bonus program helps prevent unnecessary hospitalizations for nursing home residents.
But confidential company and patient docs show it has helped prevent necessary hospitalizations for seniors too. Take the case of Donald Keep:
But confidential company and patient docs show it has helped prevent necessary hospitalizations for seniors too. Take the case of Donald Keep:
May 21, 2025 at 2:37 PM
8/ UnitedHealth denies this + says its bonus program helps prevent unnecessary hospitalizations for nursing home residents.
But confidential company and patient docs show it has helped prevent necessary hospitalizations for seniors too. Take the case of Donald Keep:
But confidential company and patient docs show it has helped prevent necessary hospitalizations for seniors too. Take the case of Donald Keep:
7/ Current UnitedHealth nurse practitioners told the Guardian that UnitedHealth managers pressed them to persuade Medicare Advantage members to change their “code status” to DNR even when seniors had expressed a desire that all available treatments be used to keep them alive.
May 21, 2025 at 2:37 PM
7/ Current UnitedHealth nurse practitioners told the Guardian that UnitedHealth managers pressed them to persuade Medicare Advantage members to change their “code status” to DNR even when seniors had expressed a desire that all available treatments be used to keep them alive.
6/ The company also monitored nursing homes that had smaller numbers of patients with “do not resuscitate” – or DNR – and “do not intubate” orders in their files. Without such orders, patients are in line for certain life-saving treatments that might lead to costly hospital stays.
May 21, 2025 at 2:37 PM
6/ The company also monitored nursing homes that had smaller numbers of patients with “do not resuscitate” – or DNR – and “do not intubate” orders in their files. Without such orders, patients are in line for certain life-saving treatments that might lead to costly hospital stays.
5/ Internal emails show UnitedHealth supervisors gave their teams “budgets” showing how many hospital admissions they had “left” to use up on nursing homes patients.
May 21, 2025 at 2:37 PM
5/ Internal emails show UnitedHealth supervisors gave their teams “budgets” showing how many hospital admissions they had “left” to use up on nursing homes patients.
4/ These seniors are covered by Medicare Advantage, a privatization initiative that pays insurers fixed sums to cover their healthcare. By putting UnitedHealth’s own medical teams into nursing homes to drive down hospitalizations, it cut its medical expenses—saving it federal dollars
May 21, 2025 at 2:37 PM
4/ These seniors are covered by Medicare Advantage, a privatization initiative that pays insurers fixed sums to cover their healthcare. By putting UnitedHealth’s own medical teams into nursing homes to drive down hospitalizations, it cut its medical expenses—saving it federal dollars
3/ The secret bonuses have been paid out as part of a UnitedHealth program that stations the company’s own medical teams in nursing homes and pushes them to cut care expenses for residents covered by the insurance giant.
May 21, 2025 at 2:37 PM
3/ The secret bonuses have been paid out as part of a UnitedHealth program that stations the company’s own medical teams in nursing homes and pushes them to cut care expenses for residents covered by the insurance giant.
2/ This story is based on thousands of confidential UnitedHealth + patient records obtained through sources, public records requests + court files, interviews with 20+ current and former UnitedHealth and nursing home employees, + 2 whistleblower declarations via @wbaidlaw.bsky.social
May 21, 2025 at 2:37 PM
2/ This story is based on thousands of confidential UnitedHealth + patient records obtained through sources, public records requests + court files, interviews with 20+ current and former UnitedHealth and nursing home employees, + 2 whistleblower declarations via @wbaidlaw.bsky.social