Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating whether Optum and UnitedHealth Group may have improperly classified certain Utilization Management Nurses as exempt from overtime pay.
Recent Optum job postings provide unusually direct evidence that some utilization-management nursing positions continue to be classified as overtime-exempt.
A June 17, 2026 posting for a remote Utilization Management Nurse expressly identifies the position’s “Overtime status” as “Exempt.”
That does not appear to be isolated. An August 17, 2026 Optum posting for a Utilization Management Nurse RN in Pennsylvania also identifies the position as exempt, as does a July 2026 posting for a Senior Utilization Management Nurse RN.
At the same time, Optum classifies some other nursing positions as non-exempt, including certain preservice review and case-management roles. Migliaccio & Rathod is therefore investigating specific utilization-management nurse positions that were classified as exempt and did not receive overtime.
Nurses May Have Been Required To:
- review medical records and requests for healthcare services;
- determine whether requests satisfy utilization-management criteria;
- use standardized clinical guidelines or review systems;
- communicate with providers about authorization requests;
- document reviews in electronic systems;
- meet productivity or turnaround-time expectations;
- escalate certain cases for further clinical or physician review; and
- complete substantial documentation or case-review work outside scheduled hours.
Why Overtime May Be Owed
Federal overtime law generally requires covered employees to receive additional compensation when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek unless a valid exemption applies.
An employee’s title as a Registered Nurse or Utilization Management Nurse does not necessarily decide that question.
Migliaccio & Rathod is investigating whether some Optum nurses classified as exempt primarily performed standardized utilization-review work in which their decisions were constrained by predetermined guidelines, company policies, computer systems, or required escalation procedures.
Optum’s continued use of an express “Overtime status: Exempt” designation for current utilization-management nursing positions makes information from current and former employees particularly important.
Potential Claims May Include:
- unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act;
- improper overtime-exempt classification;
- unpaid wages under state law;
- failure to accurately record all hours worked; and
- liquidated or statutory damages.
Signs You May Be Affected:
- You worked for Optum or UnitedHealth Group as a Utilization Management Nurse, Senior Utilization Management Nurse RN, Medical Management Nurse, Clinical Reviewer, or similar employee;
- your position was classified as exempt from overtime;
- you were paid a salary rather than overtime for additional hours;
- you regularly worked more than 40 hours per week;
- your job primarily involved applying established clinical criteria or company policies to requests for healthcare services; or
- you routinely completed reviews, documentation, emails, or other work outside your scheduled hours without additional compensation.
If you have encountered these issues, we would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send us an email at [email protected], or give us a call.