UnitedHealth Group (UNH) CEO Andrew Witty defended the corporate’s declare denial practices in a leaked video recorded after the deadly capturing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance coverage subsidiary. The video has sparked one other spherical of on-line backlash towards the corporate concerning the way it evaluates medical claims.
“We be sure that care is secure, acceptable, and is delivered when individuals want it and we guard towards the pressures that exist for unsafe or pointless care to be delivered in a approach that makes the entire system too advanced and in the end unsustainable,” Witty advised staff in a video leaked to journalist Ken Klippenstein.
The video was recorded simply in the future after Thompson was fatally shot in New York City on the morning of Dec.4.
Multiple retailers reported on Thursday that shell casings from the capturing had the phrases “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on them. The phrases seem to reference phrases trade critics use to explain how insurers deny claims.
“The mission of this firm is really to verify we assist the system enhance by serving to the expertise for people get higher and higher. There was nobody who did extra to strive advance that mission than Brian Thompson,” Witty mentioned within the video.
Following Thompson’s capturing, posts on social media have claimed that UnitedHealthcare’s claim-denial price is the very best within the trade; nevertheless, the true extent of its denials stays unclear, particularly in terms of non-public plans.
Still, some current stories present that denials for some sufferers have been on the rise.
In October, a report from the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations confirmed that the nation’s insurers have been utilizing AI-powered instruments to disclaim some claims from Medicare Advantage plan subscribers.
The report discovered that UnitedHealthcare’s denial price for post-acute care — well being care wanted to transition individuals out of hospitals and again into their houses — for individuals with Medicare Advantage plans rose to 22.7% in 2022, from 10.9% in 2020.
In response to the leaked video, dozens of individuals have posted on social media criticizing Witty’s remarks and sharing their experiences with the corporate.
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