UnitedHealthcare Denies Claim for Comatose Patient with Brain Hemorrhage, Citing Lack of Proof for Medical Necessity
UnitedHealthcare recently denied a claim for a comatose patient with a brain hemorrhage, citing insufficient proof of the necessity of her hospital care. This controversial decision has sparked outrage, highlighting the growing frustration with insurance companies' claim denial practices in the U.S
The murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, last month in New York marked one of the most high-profile killings of 2024. However, in a shocking turn of events, the death of Thompson was met with widespread 'celebration' on social media, leaving many, including UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of the insurer, stunned. The murderer, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was even hailed as a hero by some.
The celebration of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder has been attributed to the rising public anger toward insurance companies in the U.S. over the widespread denial of patient claims, often on trivial grounds. As the largest health insurer in the country, UnitedHealthcare is particularly criticized for its high claim denial rates, which frequently prevent patients from receiving the necessary treatment.
UnitedHealthcare's shocking claim denial was recently highlighted by Zachary Levy, an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Emergency Medicine at Hofstra University. On X, he shared the distressing story of one of his patients who had her claim denied by the insurer. 'UnitedHealthcare just denied a claim for one of my ICU patients—she’s in a coma, on a ventilator, suffering from a brain hemorrhage and heart failure—because I haven’t proven to them that her hospital care was medically necessary, Levy wrote.
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