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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDoctor calls out claim denials amid UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting
Last edited Sat Dec 14, 2024, 04:07 PM - Edit history (1)
Dr. Saju Mathew, a 20-year veteran physician, told NewsNation Monday that insurance companies are increasingly blocking critical medical procedures through complex prior authorization processes.
We as doctors have been crying, screaming on the top of our lungs regarding how lots of insurance companies are denying claims on a daily basis, Mathew said on NewsNation Now. He cited examples of patients being unable to obtain routine tests like mammograms without extensive bureaucratic hurdles.
*snip*
Mathew said that UnitedHealthcare denies one in three claims, a trend he says is symptomatic of a broader industry problem. The company reported $281 billion in revenue last year. But its just not UnitedHealthcare. Its really all insurance companies, he said.
Mathew argued that meaningful change would require congressional action, suggesting legislators should mandate transparency about insurance denial rates and restore medical decision-making power to physicians and patients.
Lots more at link: https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/doctor-insurance-claims-unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting/
***Obligatory disclaimer: No, the awful things Insurance companies do don't excuse murder; killing people is wrong; I am not celebrating the UHC CEO''s death, etc., etc.***

AverageOldGuy
(2,461 posts). . . is living in a dream world if he thinks Congress will do anything.
I dont recall the details, wish I did, but in the past week I was halfway watching one of the regulars on daytime MSNBC who was interviewing a guy who laid it out about healthcare industry lobbying. He said 60% ( or maybe it was more ) of the lobbyists in DC are from the healthcare mob and anytime Congress even thinks about legislation affecting them, they are all over the place passing out campaign donations.
For the longest time we donated $100-$200 a year to our Senator and Representative, neither of whom paid any attention to us. Couple of years ago I got a look at a photo of our Representatives office ( he posted photos ). The walls were covered with fish he had caught, most of them deep-sea fish that he caught on fishing trips paid for by corporations that financed his campaigns. We have made not a single campaign donation since.
Ill make the same disclaimer about shooting health care scam executives . But it certainly did get their attention. For a few minutes at least.
Skittles
(161,809 posts)congressional action with repukes WILL NOT HAPPEN
heck, they will make it worse - trashing ACA, Medicare, ANYTHING THAT HELPS PEOPLE
Karasu
(554 posts)is the truth
J_William_Ryan
(2,430 posts)The only meaningful action by Congress would be comprehensive expansion of Medicare which of course Republicans would never allow.
Meowmee
(7,103 posts)Of the insurance and pharma lobby on congress though?
malaise
(280,820 posts)Rec
Scrivener7
(53,955 posts)"You have to wait MONTHS for elective or non-emergency procedures!!1!"
No one ever talks about the fact that you have a 1 in 3 chance of being denied for essential care in our "best system in the world!!1!"
durablend
(8,220 posts)(sarcasm, in case that wasn't obvious)
Greybnk48
(10,475 posts)callous, deadly, and not even close to what people think of when they say health "care."