The emails from UnitedHealth Group managers were filled with exclamation marks and pleasantries about the weather. But the underlying message to doctors in late 2020 was persistent and urgent: Hit your targets to see more patients. We need to bring in more money.
At the time, deaths from Covid-19 were surging, and no vaccine was available. But inside a UnitedHealth practice, the “#1 PRIORITY” became documenting older patients’ chronic illnesses to generate more revenue from the federal government, the emails show.
One email trumpeted “ADDITIONAL BONUSES!!” for doctors who scheduled more appointments, encouraging them to meet with older patients on weekends. “We need to complete ALL our Medicare Advantage Visits,” one manager declared. The company even started a program where it enticed Medicare Advantage patients with $75 gift cards if they completed a checkup.
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