Senators claim UnitedHealth is withholding internal documents from inquiry

UnitedHealth says it will continue to engage' with lawmakers who began investigating their involvement in nursing home care after Guardian investigation

UnitedHealth has refused to hand over key internal records to lawmakers investigating the company's efforts to reduce hospital transfers for nursing home residents, according to a 7 January letter sent to the company by the US senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren.

The veteran lawmakers, both members of the powerful Senate finance committee, launched their inquiry last summer following a Guardian investigation into bonuses that UnitedHealth pays to nursing homes that reduce hospital transfers for their residents. Those are hospitalizations the insurance giant would otherwise have to pay for.

UnitedHealth did not directly respond to questions from the Guardian about the senators' assertion that the company had failed to turn over internal documents. But it said in a statement that it will continue to engage" with the senators and that its nursing home care program improves outcomes" and reduces unnecessary hospitalizations".