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usonian

(15,088 posts)

3. How UnitedHealth's Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage Puts Countless Americans' Treatment at Risk (ProPublica)

Reply to Cattledog (Original post)

Thu Dec 5, 2024, 01:13 AM

Dec 5

https://www.propublica.org/article/unitedhealth-mental-health-care-denied-illegal-algorithm

For years, it was a mystery: Seemingly out of the blue, therapists would feel like they’d tripped some invisible wire and become a target of UnitedHealth Group.

A company representative with the Orwellian title “care advocate” would call and grill them about why they’d seen a patient twice a week or weekly for six months.

In case after case, United would refuse to cover care, leaving patients to pay out-of-pocket or go without it. The severity of their issues seemed not to matter.

Around 2016, government officials began to pry open United’s black box. They found that the nation’s largest health insurance conglomerate had been using algorithms to identify providers it determined were giving too much therapy and patients it believed were receiving too much; then, the company scrutinized their cases and cut off reimbursements.

Tons more at ProPublica
including "receipts" in the form of internal documents

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vanessa_ca SunSeeker migeorge txwhitedove pazzyanne KarenS Prof. Toru Tanaka StarryNite TommyT139 raccoon Crunchy Frog Docreed2003 ms liberty Bettie madwivoter Clouds Passing Think. Again.

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Highlight:

So it was a revenge killing of UHC Executive [View all] Cattledog Dec 5 OP

I think maybe. Delay, deny, defend is an insurance tactic to avoid paying. Solly Mack Dec 5 #1

They were also deposed, where they denied and defended themselves against the DOJ's acussations of insider trading LeftInTX Dec 5 #4

The dead guy was? The company? I didn't know. Solly Mack Dec 5 #5

The dead guy, but probably also the other CEO and who knows who else. LeftInTX Dec 5 #7

Damn. Solly Mack Dec 5 #8

Wow... the plot thickens! 😱 Tanuki Dec 5 #10

Truth will out malaise Dec 5 #27

This is interesting. This caused major issue in March 2024 because Change went down. LizBeth Dec 5 #80

Maybe shooter lost a parent or other loved one RedWhiteBlueIsRacist Dec 5 #2

How UnitedHealth's Playbook for Limiting Mental Health Coverage Puts Countless Americans' Treatment at Risk (ProPublica) usonian Dec 5 #3

algorithms soandso Dec 5 #9

The FTC is on that. Health care "seems" beyond control and I am sure they pay politicians for the privilege. usonian Dec 5 #11

No Bernardo de La Paz Dec 5 #35

You're right soandso Dec 5 #38

The luddites were opposed to the misuse of technology Voltaire2 Dec 5 #43

This is like a nightmare NJCher Dec 5 #21

A lot of us feel that way. yardwork Dec 5 #59

None of that claudette Dec 5 #6

i do agree, but rampartd Dec 5 #12

Even so claudette Dec 5 #14

Nobody is saying NJCher Dec 5 #22

Like when husbands shoot their wives Kaleva Dec 5 #23

Yes. A domestic abuser killing his victim is exactly the same kind of situation. Crunchy Frog Dec 5 #29

Right? It's so interesting the way some posters obviously think they're slam dunking a point, Scrivener7 Dec 5 #41

Murder is murder Kaleva Dec 5 #49

In that case, why not compare him Crunchy Frog Dec 5 #55

That doesn't refute what I said Kaleva Dec 5 #82

Seems more like when an abuse victim ThreeNoSeep Dec 5 #40

But it wasn't a solution was it? Kaleva Dec 5 #54

Murder is murder so there's absolutely no difference between the two situations. Crunchy Frog Dec 5 #58

It is exactly the other way around. Voltaire2 Dec 5 #44

Nothing justifies murder Keepthesoulalive Dec 5 #13

Still sounds to me claudette Dec 5 #15

He worked for UHC for 20 years. progressoid Dec 5 #18

How about the shareholders? Kaleva Dec 5 #24

I'll repeat. I don't condone it. progressoid Dec 5 #85

I asked about shareholders Kaleva Dec 5 #89

Dear Lord claudette Dec 5 #34

We? progressoid Dec 5 #87

The poster is not rationalizing any action. So maybe you shouldn't imply the poster and Scrivener7 Dec 5 #26

So did he deserve to die? claudette Dec 5 #33

Has anyone said he did? And, because obviously no one here killed him or thought of killing him or Scrivener7 Dec 5 #36

No claudette Dec 5 #46

You seem hell bent on painting DUers as murderous and terrible people because they are using Scrivener7 Dec 5 #48

Not murderous on their own, but supporting murder against the right people. I've seen things here that ... marble falls Dec 5 #53

Operative words: "that have been hidden." Which means they're demonstrably not supported here. Scrivener7 Dec 5 #57

Go back and read this entire OP. It's being danced all around with the argument that he deserved it for ... marble falls Dec 5 #62

Go back and read through the comments. No one is saying we should arbitrarily Scrivener7 Dec 5 #65

"We don't arbitrarily execute people in the streets in this nation." progressoid Dec 5 #86

That is nothing new. yardwork Dec 5 #63

It's completely bizarre. Scrivener7 Dec 5 #66

It's standard psy-ops behavior. yardwork Dec 5 #67

Except I don't believe that of the posters in question. Scrivener7 Dec 5 #68

We're seeing the effects of the effort. yardwork Dec 5 #70

Yes. Scrivener7 Dec 5 #71

Exactly. Kingofalldems Dec 5 #74

Bingo. Think. Again. Dec 5 #76

Ahhh a law and order absolutist peregrinus Dec 5 #37

I'm kind of a law and order absolutist too. But using black humor and pointing out Scrivener7 Dec 5 #39

I am not blaming the victim Keepthesoulalive Dec 5 #72

Some victims are obviously way more important than others. Crunchy Frog Dec 5 #31

For profit health insurance murders with impunity. Voltaire2 Dec 5 #45

Oh claudette Dec 5 #47

Oh come on, it's not murder when it's poor people in the way of more MONEY!!! ck4829 Dec 5 #52

Motives are motives. Iggo Dec 5 #19

No one on DU has said it does. Scrivener7 Dec 5 #25

Two years ck4829 Dec 5 #51

Some people seek to create false narratives. yardwork Dec 5 #61

This is very true ck4829 Dec 5 #69

Who said it does? yardwork Dec 5 #60

It doesn't justify it Bettie Dec 5 #73

We all deserve better stillspkg Dec 5 #16

I got a $3000 bill for 10 minutes in the ER. pfitz59 Dec 5 #17

According to the Federal Reserve, the "average American" has 8k in the bank. How the fuck the system has even lasted Karasu Dec 5 #20

Dump that Medicare Advantage soandso Dec 5 #32

The photos from Starbucks underpants Dec 5 #28

I smell a rumor being generated. n/t Jacson6 Dec 5 #30

I love it when people take crime-scene evidence found by detectives at face value. WhiskeyGrinder Dec 5 #42

I thought the same obamanut2012 Dec 5 #77

Occam's razor Mosby Dec 5 #81

At any given time, I have a stack of denials on my desk Horse with no Name Dec 5 #50

+1 dalton99a Dec 5 #75

CLASS ACTION SUIT onecaliberal Dec 5 #78

Hopefully the perp lives thru his capture and provides a lucid explanation for the shooting. NoMoreRepugs Dec 5 #56

When a pie in the CEO's face isn't enough. sop Dec 5 #64

I could see this becoming our future ChicagoRonin Dec 5 #79

When people feel that they are unjustly treated, and there seems to be no systematic recourse, usonian Dec 5 #83

He Should Have Been Armed Deep State Witch Dec 5 #84

If everybody had a gun no one would get shot! Emile Dec 5 #90

wow. that guy was obsessed! ecstatic Dec 5 #88