Laid off from Optum.
Optum shut down its entire New Jersey behavioral health operation, 572 layoffs across four Optum entities and dozens of closed clinics. UnitedHealth's care arm cuts under its own names, and patients and employees learned together.
At a glance
What's known about Optum severance and layoffs
- 572 roles · New Jersey exit, announced late 2025
- Optum Care, 390 · Largest entity filing
- 12 across four states · WARN filings since 2025, our tracker
- Not published · Individual severance terms
Recent Optum layoffs
The New Jersey exit, 572 roles and the clinics with them
Optum announced it would lay off 572 New Jersey employees and cease behavioral health services in the state, closing dozens of medical offices with layoffs beginning February 2026. The filings split across Optum Care at 390, Optum Medical Care at 122, and Optum Services.
Previous rounds
Optum layoff history
Optum grew by acquiring care practices nationwide, and its restructuring is the reverse gear, exiting geographies and service lines where the math stopped working. The New Jersey behavioral health shutdown ended a statewide operation in one announcement, with patients scrambling for new providers as 572 employees got their notices.
The entity structure shapes what workers can see. Optum files as Optum Care, Optum Medical Care, Optum Services, and more, our tracker holds 12 filings across those names since 2025, and none of it appears under UnitedHealth's name, which is why watching the parent tells an Optum clinician nothing about their own exposure.
If you're affected at Optum, clinical licenses are the asset that moves fastest, the provider shortage means behavioral health and primary care clinicians have options at health systems, other medical groups, and telehealth platforms immediately. New Jersey staff have that state's rules on our New Jersey page, and non-clinical staff should treat the corporate-services job market as their target, since Optum's back-office skills transfer across every payer and provider.
Previous Optum layoff rounds
February 2026, New Jersey · 572 roles as behavioral health services ceased statewide and dozens of clinics closed, filed across four Optum entities
Terms not published.
2025, distributed · Smaller filings in California, Illinois, and Maryland as clinic and care operations consolidated
Terms not published.
How Optum has compared
Optum is where UnitedHealth's cuts actually land, clinics, pharmacists, care staff, under entity names like Optum Care and Optum Medical that most coverage rolls up to the parent. The New Jersey exit shows the stakes of the distinction, a statewide service line ended, visible only if you watch the subsidiary.
Optum layoff and severance questions
What severance is Optum paying in the New Jersey layoffs?
Optum hasn't published severance terms for the New Jersey exit or any recent round. Packages arrive as individual agreements, and yours is the only version that counts.
Is Optum the same as UnitedHealth?
Optum is UnitedHealth Group's care-delivery and services arm, and it files layoffs under its own entity names, Optum Care, Optum Medical Care, and others. This page tracks those filings; our UnitedHealth Group page covers the parent. If your badge says Optum, your filings are here.
Why did Optum leave New Jersey behavioral health?
The company announced it would cease behavioral health services statewide and close dozens of offices, with 572 layoffs beginning February 2026. It framed the exit around cost, and the closures ended both the jobs and the patient relationships at once.
Where do I file for unemployment after being laid off from Optum?
In the state where you worked, not where the company is headquartered. Optum's biggest U.S. hubs are New Jersey, California, Maryland. Severance usually doesn't block you from filing, and benefits run from your filing date, so file the same week.
Should I sign the severance agreement right away?
First pin down how much review time you actually have. If you're 40 or older, federal law gives you 21 days to consider an agreement that waives age claims, 45 in a group layoff, and a waiver signed under a shorter deadline can be invalid. If you're under 40, no federal window applies and the deadline in your packet may be real, so confirm it in writing and ask for more time if you need it. Use whatever window you have to read the release terms, especially non-disparagement and no-lawsuit clauses, and don't stall past a real deadline, because offers can be withdrawn.
Can I collect unemployment if I got severance from Optum?
Usually yes, though some states delay benefits until severance pay periods end, and lump sums are treated differently than salary continuation. Check your state's rules on our state benefit pages, and file immediately either way so your claim date is locked in.
What to do after being laid off from Optum
- File for unemployment in the state where you worked. Benefits run from your filing date, and severance usually doesn't block you. Optum's biggest hubs: New Jersey, California, Maryland. Somewhere else? Every state is here.
- Find out in writing how long you have to review the severance agreement. At 40 or older, federal law guarantees 21 days, 45 in group layoffs. Under 40, the packet's deadline may be real, so ask for time rather than assume. Read our severance breakdown first. The clauses matter more than the number.
- Mind the health insurance window. Losing coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period, and an ACA plan usually beats unsubsidized COBRA. Compare your options before the employer coverage lapses.
- Get your real runway number. Severance plus savings divided by reality. The calculator takes five minutes.
- Know which clocks are already running. Severance review windows, COBRA election, visa grace periods, and 401(k) rollovers all run on federal deadlines that started at termination. All five deadlines are here.