UnitedHealth Group: A History of Denials and Deception

While seniors struggled to access care, UnitedHealth orchestrated a massive fraud scheme to extract billions from Medicare through systematic diagnosis manipulation. Their own whistleblower exposed how they incentivized employees to inflate risk scores.

When caught, instead of fixing their practices, they fought against transparency rules requiring verification of diagnoses. Their priority wasn't patient care - it was maximizing profits through systematic fraud.

Every inflated diagnosis was another dollar stolen from taxpayers and denied to patients who truly needed care.

UnitedHealth deployed AI algorithms with a shocking 90% error rate to deny critical care, including nursing stays for stroke patients. Their NaviHealth subsidiary used these flawed systems to override doctors' recommendations, putting profits over patients' lives.

The human cost? Two elderly patients died after being denied necessary care by an algorithm that was wrong 9 times out of 10. Their families' lawsuits exposed how UnitedHealth automated life-and-death decisions to maximize profits.

They weren't just denying claims - they were letting an error-prone AI play doctor with people's lives.

A federal judge found UnitedHealth's practices were "infected" by profit motives when they systematically denied mental health and substance abuse treatments. Their ALERT algorithm wrongly denied over 34,000 therapy sessions, forcing a $4 million settlement.

They used restrictive guidelines influenced by financial considerations, not medical necessity. When caught, they paid millions in settlements while making billions from denied care.

Their denials weren't just about money - they blocked access to life-saving mental health care when patients needed it most.

While shareholders lost billions, UnitedHealth's top executives cashed out just before a devastating DOJ investigation became public. CEO Brian Thompson sold $15 million in shares while Chairman Stephen Hemsley dumped over $102 million worth.

The timing couldn't have been more suspicious - right before a DOJ antitrust probe that would erase nearly $25 billion in shareholder value. While everyday investors watched their savings evaporate, the executives had already secured their golden parachutes.

This wasn't just insider trading - it was a betrayal of trust that cost shareholders billions while executives walked away enriched.

UnitedHealth weaponized its market power to force providers into submission. Envision Healthcare sued them for deliberately underpaying out-of-network providers to force them into Optum networks, while SpecialtyCare revealed they owed over $900,000 in delayed payments.

Their monopolistic practices didn't stop there. The DOJ had to step in to block their acquisition of Amedisys, recognizing how it would strangle competition in home health services. Their strategy was clear: crush competition, control the market, and maximize profits.

Every provider forced into their network was another step toward their monopolistic endgame - total market control.

UnitedHealth's negligence led to a catastrophic data breach at Change Healthcare that exposed sensitive patient information and disrupted prescriptions nationwide. The breach cost them $872 million in damages, but the real cost was borne by patients who couldn't access their medications.

As if that wasn't enough, a separate class-action lawsuit revealed they had exposed student members' private information. Their pattern of mishandling sensitive data and using claims information for financial purposes showed a complete disregard for patient privacy.

They weren't just losing data - they were gambling with patients' privacy and health while counting their profits.

A Senate investigation revealed UnitedHealth's shocking denial rates for Medicare Advantage patients skyrocketed from 10.9% in 2020 to 22.7% in 2022 - more than double the industry average. They weren't just denying claims; they were systematically blocking access to care.

ProPublica investigations exposed their pattern of denying cutting-edge treatments despite physician recommendations. The human cost? Countless families faced financial ruin or watched loved ones suffer when denied essential care.

Every denial was another dollar in their pocket, another patient left without care, another family pushed toward bankruptcy.

SpecialtyCare's lawsuit exposed how UnitedHealth deliberately delayed over $900,000 in payments mandated under the Federal No Surprises Act. From October 2022 to December 2024, they systematically ignored payment deadlines, profiting from providers' financial strain.

Their strategy was clear: delay payments as long as possible, forcing providers to either accept lower rates or face financial crisis. Even federal mandates couldn't make them pay what they owed on time.

Every delayed payment was another interest-free loan they took from healthcare providers struggling to survive.

UnitedHealth implemented ruthless policies denying payments for emergency room visits they deemed "non-critical" - forcing patients to choose between risking death or facing crushing medical debt. Their arbitrary denials undermined the fundamental principle of emergency care.

Only after intense public backlash and media exposure did they reverse some of these deadly policies. But the damage was done - countless patients were left with massive bills for seeking emergency care during their most vulnerable moments.

They weren't just denying claims - they were gambling with lives by making patients think twice before seeking emergency care.

Public outrage boiled over as demonstrators gathered at UnitedHealth headquarters, protesting their systematic denial of care through prior authorization restrictions. The protests in Minnetonka, Minnesota led to arrests but amplified the voices of those fighting against their deadly practices.

Even healthcare providers joined the fight, with HealthPartners exiting UnitedHealth's Medicare Advantage network due to their excessive denial rates. The protests gained momentum after CEO Brian Thompson's murder, highlighting the deep public anger over their practices.

These weren't just protests - they were the collective voice of thousands of Americans demanding accountability from a corporation that put profits over lives.