Optum to close two dozen Shore-area health clinics to cut costs

Optum will close nearly two dozen health practices in Monmouth and Ocean counties on Dec. 1 and lay off more than 500 employees statewide, the company said, as part of a plan to cut costs.

The company, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, said the closings include a range of services, from pediatric clinics to gastroenterology.

“As part of our commitment to making health care more affordable, we regularly review our services, footprint and staffing levels to ensure they meet the needs of the people we serve, our business and evolving market dynamics,” an Optum spokesperson said in a statement.

Optum, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was founded in 2011 to provide better quality and more affordable health care through its providers, technology and medication management. It made inroads in New Jersey after buying Riverside Medical Group in 2022.

The cuts come as UnitedHealth Group reported a decline in Optum Health’s earnings for the third quarter because of a reduction in Medicare reimbursements and higher utilization and expenses.

Optum notified the New Jersey Department of Labor that it would lay off the bulk of the 572 employees in February 2026. Patients visiting the company’s web site were met with a link to find another Optum office and another link to request their medical records.

The offices closing include:

Pediatrics offices in Brick, Freehold, Howell, Lacey, Manalapan, Tinton Falls, Toms River and Wall;
Primary care offices in Ocean, Lakewood and Toms River;
Rheumatology offices in Ocean and Stafford;
Endocrinology and metabolism offices in Ocean, Brick and Stafford;
Gastroenterology offices in Ocean and Lakewood;
Podiatry offices in Toms River and Stafford;
A dermatology office in Toms River
A cardiology office in Toms River; and
A diabetic foot care office in Ocean.

The Optum spokesperson said the company would provide clear information and support to its patients to ensure uninterrupted care.

Optum’s doctors appeared to be considering their next steps. Dr. Sunil Asnani of Garden State Endocrinology in Brick posted a message to his patients on Facebook, saying his practice planned to remain in the same location.

“We expect to complete the transition and formally re-open in early February,” he wrote, adding he would send patients’ prescription refills for the next three-to-six months to their pharmacies.

“My commitment to your health remains unchanged,” he wrote.

Reporter Scott Fallon contributed to this story.

Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter at the Asbury Park Press. He has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry since 1999. He can be reached at [email protected].

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