Pro-Trump House Committee Investigates UnitedHealth‘s Irish subsidiary Over Openness concerns
WASHINGTON – A key House committee led by a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump is investigating the international structure of UnitedHealth Group,focusing on its Irish-based pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) subsidiary,Emisar Pharma Services,LLC. The inquiry alleges the subsidiary was established to circumvent U.S. oversight and obscure financial dealings,perhaps harming patients and taxpayers.
The investigation, spearheaded by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, centers on accusations that emisar Pharma allows UnitedHealth to retain additional revenue and fees while avoiding domestic legislative and regulatory reforms. comer’s letter to UnitedHealth alleges a purposeful effort toward “opacity and avoidance of oversight” within the company, pointing to the 2021 creation of the Ireland-headquartered entity. This scrutiny arrives as federal regulators increasingly target PBM practices and seek greater transparency in drug pricing.
“Emisar Pharma,which UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx created in 2021 and is headquartered in Ireland,appears to be yet another example of the institutional intent at opacity and avoidance of oversight within your company,” Comer wrote in the letter to UnitedHealth. He further stated that overseas headquartered GPOs “may be used to retain additional revenue and fees and to sidestep US legislative and regulatory reforms.”
The committee’s investigation follows recent federal actions aimed at increasing PBM accountability. In April,then-President Trump signed an executive order requiring PBMs to disclose fees paid to brokers,and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has resumed lawsuits related to PBM practices. Comer expressed concern that UnitedHealth’s “opaque business practices and relationships…combined with unchecked integration, is hurting patients and costing taxpayers.”
Comer has formally requested documents and communications pertaining to the creation and function of emisar Pharma.
In response, Optum RX spokeswoman Elizabeth Hoff stated, “Emisar is based in the US, and we have employees in both the US and Ireland.” She added that the dublin-based team “is an significant part of Emisar’s ongoing efforts to provide significant value for participating members, health plans, and consumers,” and that the company intends to cooperate with the congressional inquiry.
