UnitedHealthcare is facing a growing backlash over its practices denying coverage for “unnecessary” care, following the assassination of CEO Brian Thompson and comments from parent company CEO Andrew Witty. Witty defended the insurer’s practices as justified to prevent “unnecessary” care.
Many users on social media shared stories about how the insurer denied them coverage for healthcare needs, including a new mother who was forced off her plan after giving birth. A YouTube user claimed UnitedHealthcare initially refused to pay for medication that made his mother temporarily blind, and another user on Reddit received a denial letter for a power wheelchair for a child with cerebral palsy.
The criticism is not new, as the company has faced scrutiny over its policies surrounding claim denials in the past. In 2022, a Senate subcommittee found that UnitedHealthcare’s denial rate for post-acute care grew from 10.9% to 22.7%. Doctors have also spoken out about their poor experiences with the company.
The controversy has sparked a wider conversation about Americans’ deep-seated anger towards healthcare. An emergency physician wrote an op-ed in The New York Times, sharing her own patients’ struggles with navigating precarious health-care coverage.
Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/unitedhealth-ceo-andrew-wittys-unnecessary-care-rant-prompts-another-tidal-wave-of-fury