UnitedHealth Group is the biggest employer of doctors and the largest health insurer. Its holdings are vast. Know what else United owns? A bank. It’s called Optum Bank. And it's had problems. 🧵 If you have a health savings account, you might be an Optum Bank customer. Most banks pay interest for the money it holds. That’s not really how Optum Bank works. It has about 5 million customers and pays practically zilch on deposits.

Ever been sick but your insurer refused to pay for the care your doctor said you need? Who gets to decide the treatment is “not medically necessary”? One Colorado surgeon tried to find out. 1/x Dr. Braden Jones’ patient was hurt on a job site. The electrician slipped on some ice and tore his rotator cuff. He tried physical therapy but wasn’t better a year later. Jones looked at the MRI and knew what was needed. “It was a pretty clear-cut case for surgery,” Jones said.