UnitedHealth Group scrubbed many of its websites, referring to its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, including reducing blog posts and removing large sections from the website.
According to Archived Copies on the UnitedHealth website, some of the company’s web pages dedicated to DEI are no longer loaded and are redirected to “Not Found Pages” errors. The company’s career page section, which had a dedicated section for diversity, equity and inclusion, and its diversity initiative, does not appear on the same live page. UnitedHealth also deleted a 2022 blog post featuring a conversation with the DEI vice president.
It is not clear why UnitedHealth pulled the page down and whether it represents a shift in language or an actual change in its policy.
In a brief statement, UnitedHealth spokesman Tyler Mason responded to TechCrunch’s enquiries: “We will comply with existing and emerging laws, while striving to support what is best for the communities we serve. It is worth supporting the value of treating each other with respect, and is part of our culture and is fundamental to expanding access to health services.”
The removal of DEIs from the UnitedHealth website coincides with the DEI name and widespread setback from DEI policies and programs by high-tech companies amid increasing pressure from the Trump administration’s executive order targeting the DEI program.
In February, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondy directed the Department of Justice to “investigate, eliminate and punish” DEI programs that private companies that receive federal funds deemed illegal. The federal court of appeals allowed the Trump administration to temporarily push ahead despite finding the government’s efforts to be illegal.
Some tech companies have already scrubbed DEI mentions from websites including Google and Openai.
On TechCrunch, UnitedHealth removed a webpage that mentioned DEI in real time on Wednesday morning. Last year, due to a Ransomware attack that changed Healthcare, TechCrunch used the Web Page Monitor to automatically and continuously check for changes to our website, including updating data breach notifications.
When removing “Diversity, Fairness, Inclusion” from the UnitedHealth website menu, the company has added a slim down page for a weaker language called “Culture of Affiliation.”
Updated with comments from UHG.