Alert: Optum/UnitedHealth Takeover of The Corvallis Clinic

Stop UnitedHealth from taking over Oregon

Optum Oregon (UnitedHealth) wants to take over The Corvallis Clinic

Who they are:

  • Optum Oregon MOS is owned by UnitedHealth Group Inc, the largest health care corporation in the US. UnitedHealth has a long history of driving up costs in the name of profit and has been the subject of a lot of controversy, nationwide, over the last decade.

  • The Corvallis Clinic is a physician owned and operated provider who operates 11 clinics serving Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Lincoln City, Newport, and Philomath. They provide primary care, behavioral health, occupational medicine, audiology, optometry, radiology, laboratory services, telemedicine, physical therapy, an ambulatory surgery center, and more.

What Optum (owned by mega-corporation UnitedHealth) wants to do:

UnitedHealth, under the name Optum Oregon MSO, is attempting to take over The Corvallis Clinic. Optum’s application materials are full of promises, but history and evidence prove those promises will be broken.
The Oregon Health Authority can approve or deny the takeover, or conduct a comprehensive review.

Take Action - Make Your Voice Heard 🎤

  1. (1 minute) Sign the petition below.

  2. (4 minutes) Email written comments to OHA’s Health Care Market Oversight (HCMO) at hcmo.info@oha.oregon.gov by January 22, 2024. Include the word “Optum” in the subject line.

Dive Deeper - Details

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Sign the Petition

To: Health Care Market Oversight hcmo.info@oha.oregon.gov

Re: Optum/UnitedHealth takeover of The Corvallis Clinic

We, the undersigned concerned Oregonians, oppose Optum/UnitedHealth taking over The Corvallis Clinic, especially without a comprehensive review. Our objections include the following concerns:

  1. Corporate Interests vs. Public Health: Optum Oregon MSO is owned by UnitedHealth Group Inc., the largest healthcare corporation in the US. Its primary responsibility is to its shareholders, focusing on maximizing profits. This business model requires prioritizing financial gains over patient welfare.

  2. Impact on Local Healthcare: UnitedHealth's record as the 10th largest corporation in the nation underscores its efficiency in generating profits. However, this comes at the cost of patient care. The takeover of The Corvallis Clinic by such a corporation will lead to increased costs and reduced quality of care for Oregonians.

  3. Affordability and Accessibility Concerns: The introduction of a mega-corporation like UnitedHealth in to our local healthcare landscape raises serious concerns about the affordability and accessibility of healthcare services. Experience and history proves that corporate takeovers lead to increased costs without improving quality of care.

  4. Distrust in Corporate Promises: The statements provided by Optum Oregon MSO in their application are refuted by historical evidence. Corporate takeovers of healthcare, particularly by UnitedHealth, have not benefited public health as promised.

In light of these points, we urge the responsible authorities to consider the broader implications of this takeover on the health and well-being of Oregonians. We believe that healthcare should prioritize people over profits, and we strongly advocate against this takeover.

If more evidence is needed that Optum/UnitedHealth will not be able to live up to their promises, we believe it meets the criteria for conducting a comprehensive review under ORS 415.501, since there is certainly potential to have a negative impact on access to affordable care in Oregon, and it also meets the criteria for convening a Community Review Board.

Let’s keep our healthcare local, accessible, and patient-centered. Please deny the takeover of The Corvallis Clinic by Optum/UnitedHealth, or conduct a comprehensive review with a Community Review Board if more evidence is needed.

Sincerely,

The petition has closed and was submitted to HCMO with over 600 signatures. THANK YOU to everyone who signed!