Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden (Oreg.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) are launching an investigation into UnitedHealth Group (UHG) over its actions reportedly steering seniors away from hospital visits for the sake of cutting costs.

In a letter to UHG CEO Stephen J. Hemsley, Wyden and Warren cited reporting from outlets including The Guardian that said his company was paying nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers of sick patients.

The senators wrote that UHG representatives told them bonus programs for nursing homes are offered to encourage "adherence to certain quality measures."

One of these programs allows for nursing homes to receive bonuses if they reach certain levels of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination rates and cholesterol medication adherence rates, while also maintaining a

See Full Page