UnitedHealth Group CEO acknowledges need to better explain how insurance decisions are made
Even as
The company followed up Friday evening with a statement to correct what it called misinformation about the denial rate at its UnitedHealthcare business, the nation’s largest health insurer.
About 90% of medical claims are paid upon submission, and of those requiring further review less than 1% are due to medical or clinical reasons, the company said.
“Health care is both intensely personal and very complicated, and the reasons behind coverage decisions are not well understood,” Witty wrote in the guest column. “We share some of the responsibility for that. Together with employers, governments and others who pay for care, we need to improve how we explain what insurance covers and how decisions are made.”
The comments follow a wave of public anger that crashed over the insurance industry online, especially on social media, since the killing of
The outrage was fueled by early reports on Thompson’s death that quoted his wife as saying the executive had received threats, possibly over denials, and because the words “deny” and “delay” reportedly were found written on bullet casings recovered from the crime scene.
Safety concerns amid the animosity prompted two other health insurers in
Leaders of
“Yet we also are struggling to make sense of this unconscionable act and the vitriol that has been directed at our colleagues who have been barraged by threats,” he said. “No employees ... should have to fear for their and their loved one’s safety.”
In
In the op-ed, Witty echoed themes he started to send during an investor conference that was interrupted by word that Thompson had been killed on his way to the event. The company is well aware of problems with the
“We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people’s frustrations with it,” Witty wrote. “No one would design a system like the one we have. And no one did. It’s a patchwork built over decades.”
When making decisions on whether to deny coverage or pay for patient services, health insurers rely on clinical evidence to determine whether a treatment is safe and will bring the best patient outcome, Witty wrote.
“Highly inaccurate and grossly misleading information has been circulated about our company’s treatment of insurance claims,” the company said Friday. It also clarified that neither of Mangione’s parents had their health insurance through UnitedHealthcare either.
For months before Thompson’s killing, tensions over health insurance denials were on display in
Ultimately, both health systems agreed to contracts so they’ll stay in-network next year for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans.
In October, a report by a
In July, 11 people were arrested outside its
Health policy experts say there’s been a lack of comprehensive data on how frequently denials occur as well as the reasons for them. Surveys have shown public support for making more information available to patients.
In his editorial, Witty did not advance any specific proposals but called for greater understanding of the complexity of health care and the difficulty of change.
“While the health system is not perfect, every corner of it is filled with people who try to do their best for those they serve,” Witty wrote.
©2024 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
Stock market today: Nasdaq hits a record as Wall Street drifts ahead of Federal Reserve's meeting
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News