Writing this review as a former employee of AbleTo, a private mental health company acquired by Optum in August 2023. Over the past nine months, I've witnessed a devastating transformation of what truly used to be a good company. Following the acquisition, top performers and talents fled the company in droves, seeking better opportunities elsewhere. Then, on April 22, Optum laid off approximately 50% of the remaining AbleTo staff, affecting various roles including engineering, product, and project management. To add insult to injury, many of these positions are being filled by contractors in India, prioritizing cost-cutting over employee welfare. It's clear that the primary focus is maximizing profits for shareholders, with individual contributors like myself left feeling disposable and vulnerable to termination, regardless of performance. With another round of layoffs reportedly coming in Q3, I feel compelled to share my experience and warn others about the harsh reality of working under Optum's ownership.
9 replies (most recent on top)
@OP omg that's sickening I hate that they did that they gave me no warning as a patient. The app is down smh I don't like it at all
@2Ipak Yes!! They did a MASS layoff in July 2025! Idk how I managed to survive!
I am one of the remaining Therapists but every corner I turn the service and support has gone down the drain. They ask us periodically for review of how we like Able To/ Optum. I told them we really need a raise as other telehealth therapists make about $10 hr or more than us! We have the Service Ctr totally sc--wing up on half the tickets we put up. I was locked out of Paylocity for 2 weeks. I have had numerous calls and tickets for lap top/ connection problems...they made major mistakes on our Optum paychecks ...and these were not just a few $ we are talking hundreds of dollars off or overpaid and then $ taken back. The video connections often go down or dont work. We hardly get paid for the new credentialing paperwork and apps we are supposed to do. When you put in an IT ticket to Optum...they will say we cannot handle that and you need to go thru AbleTo IT department...The place has gone down...waaaaaay bad!
Word around the virtual water cooler….sounds like Optum is coming for AbleTo again Q1 2025 - taking out at least half of the remaining employees, including leadership and therapists. AbleTo will not survive the wrath of OBC leadership, it’s clear they don’t care about the amazing work AbleTo is doing and has done.
Has anyone else from AbleTo been let go since the layoffs in April?
This company only buys companies which are giving them competition. They than get rid of said competition so that the consumer has no where to go for treatment. It’s called Value based care. Can’t get help if there is no one to see. Maybe you get better on your own. The stories are sad when read how those with mental health issues either died or their families exhausted their 401 k ‘s to get their kids treatment. UHC covers nothing. These are all antitrust situations, bad faith insurance. That’s why they got fined 450000 dollars for breaking mental health parity laws during mental health month.
I was one of many that was recently layed off, after multiple requests to hire more clinical the response was we are on a hiring freeze, as we expanded and at the directives of senior level “we do not care about clinical. Just give us gross adds” we continued to request clinical with the same response. Sir Andrew Witty and below should be fired.
To expand: This is the industry way.
They take companies, who are hungry, quick, fun to work and sn---h them up for a large sum of cash.
They are buying it so they don't have to do the work. Over time, it will just become the big company.
People will be canned,let-go, what ever you call it. The only thing that will be left will be memories that people bring up and dusty coffee mugs that sits on people desks.
That's the UHC/Optum way.
Buy or 'merge' with potential competitors' companies. Make the transition so difficult, the better and marketable employees leave. Hire new employees at a lower wage. Rinse and repeat, they've been doing this for years.