Optum's "Game Changer" Virtual Care with 34,000,000+ visits a Year is... Over?

34,000,000 visits to...zero?

Fierce Healthcare (which may want to consider a “Fiercely Ironic Healthcare” Rebrand) Reported the following in 2022:

Here's why UnitedHealth Group's CMO says virtual care is a 'game changer' to reach underserved populations

UnitedHealth Group reports that telehealth visits among UnitedHealthcare members grew from 1.2 million in 2019 to almost 34 million in 2020. Among Optum patients, telehealth visits grew from 1,000 in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2020.

"As far back as I can remember, this is probably one of the most dramatic changes in the practice of medicine, definitely over a generation," said Margaret-Mary Wilson, M.D., UnitedHealth Group's chief medical officer, during a recent media briefing.

34 Million visits is a lot of visits. However, according to Optum insiders sharing information with The Frontier Psychiatrists, comments on TikTok, and The Layoff.com, the Optum Virtual Care team is being shut down.

Keep in mind, these are as of yet unconfirmed reports, but it seems like a pretty …