health insurance

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UnitedHealth Under Criminal Investigation: Report

DOJ investigating possible Medicare fraud, per WSJ

(Newser) - UnitedHealth Group is facing another government investigation, this one reportedly centered on possible criminal Medicare fraud. Since at least last summer, the Justice Department has been investigating the health insurance company for fraud related to its Medicare Advantage business, reports the Wall Street Journal . Medicare Advantage insurers receive extra payment...

UnitedHealth Just Pulled a CEO Switcheroo

Andrew Witty is out for 'personal reasons,' Stephen Hemsley returns to the top post he left in 2017

(Newser) - UnitedHealth just called in a familiar face after a massive earnings miss—former CEO Stephen Hemsley is back at the helm, replacing Andrew Witty, who's out effective immediately, with the company citing "personal reasons" for his departure, per the Wall Street Journal . The company is turning to...

Trump: New Executive Order Will Save 'Trillions' in Drug Costs

Plan would link Medicare drug prices to lowest rates abroad

(Newser) - President Trump says he'll sign an executive order aimed at lowering the cost of some prescription medications, reviving a policy effort from his first term. The order, which Trump says will be signed Monday, would instruct the Department of Health and Human Services to tie certain Medicare drug...

'Luigi Mangione Act' Would Go After Health Insurers
California Considers
a 'Luigi Mangione Act'
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Apr 5, 2025 4:20 PM CDT

California Considers a 'Luigi Mangione Act'

Ex-litigator behind proposed ballot initiative says he shares alleged killer's concerns about health insurers

(Newser) - Proposed laws are sometimes named after victims of crimes. But alleged murderers? Not so much. That's where a ballot initiative in California breaks with tradition. The "Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act," a ballot initiative named for the man who allegedly killed United Healthcare CEO Brian...

31M Americans Had to Borrow for Health Care in 2024

That's 12% of the adult population, to the tune of $74B, according to latest Gallup survey

(Newser) - When you've got a medical issue, the only thing worse than the issue itself can be the bill that accompanies it—and as it turns out, a good percentage of us can't afford that bill. According to the latest West Health-Gallup survey , conducted among 3,500-plus respondents in...

The Cost of His Inhaler Spiked 700%. He Died Days Later
The Cost of His Inhaler Spiked
700%. He Died Days Later
in case you missed it
Feb 9, 2025 6:35 AM CST

The Cost of His Inhaler Spiked 700%. He Died Days Later

Family of Cole Schmidtknecht, 22, sues Optum Rx, Walgreens, for abrupt break in insurance coverage

(Newser) - The family of a young Wisconsin man is suing after they say his health insurance abruptly dropped coverage for a much-needed asthma inhaler, which they say helped lead to his death days later. Per the complaint filed by the family of Cole Schmidtknecht and cited by ABC News , the 22-year-old...

Report: UnitedHealth Chief Has Been Boasting of a Record Year

UnitedHealth Group's Andrew Witty has also been calming staffers after murder of Brian Thompson

(Newser) - Earlier this month, Andrew Witty, chief executive for UnitedHealth Group, penned an op-ed in the New York Times condemning the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . Now, Witty himself is in the spotlight, thanks to a new profile in the Wall Street Journal that talks about how he's steering...

Ex-Cigna Bigwig: I Left Insurer After 'Crisis of Conscience'
Ex-Cigna Exec: What I Saw
'Shook Me to My Core'
OPINION
Dec 18, 2024 12:55 PM CST

Ex-Cigna Exec: What I Saw 'Shook Me to My Core'

In op-ed for NYT , Wendell Potter talks of time with health insurer, leaving due to 'crisis of conscience'

(Newser) - The gunning down of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has busted open an often-angry conversation about the state of health insurance in the United States, and now, an ex-exec with one of the country's biggest insurers is adding fuel to that fire. "What I saw made me quit,"...

Who's to Blame for High Health Care Costs? 2 Takes

Journalist points to overpaid doctors, doctor to the 'waste' of private insurance

(Newser) - One of the most talked-about policies in the national conversation around insurance is Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's decision in Connecticut, New York, and Missouri to deny claims for anesthesia for surgeries that went longer than a set time limit. It was greeted with huge uproar before the insurer...

Health Insurer's Top Boss Speaks Out After Murder

Andrew Witty of UnitedHealth Group acknowledges the system is flawed

(Newser) - The top leader of insurance giant UnitedHealth is speaking out publicly for the first time since the murder of underling Brian Thompson. In a guest essay at the New York Times , Andrew Witty—CEO of UnitedHealth Group, parent company of UnitedHealthcare—condemned the killing while also acknowledging that the insurance...

Cops: She Made 'Delay, Deny, Depose' Threat to Insurer

Briana Boston hit with charges in Florida

(Newser) - A Florida woman was arrested this week after allegedly ending a call with her insurance company by saying, "Delay, deny, depose. You people are next." Those first three words, of course, are the ones found on bullet casings at the scene of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO...

Major Insurer Nixes Anesthesia Cap After Backlash

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield had placed time limit on anesthesia coverage during surgery

(Newser) - A major health insurer has nixed a planned policy shift regarding a cap it placed on anesthesia coverage after intense public backlash against the plan. NPR reports on the 180 by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, which had initially announced it would no longer pay for coverage for anesthesia use...

Whistleblower Calls Out Health Insurer Cigna
Whistleblower Calls Out
Health Insurer Cigna
longform
May 5, 2024 12:10 PM CDT

Whistleblower Calls Out Health Insurer Cigna

Debby Day says she and other doctors are pressured to review cases too quickly

(Newser) - A ProPublica story paints the picture of health insurance giant Cigna being more concerned about productivity—mainly through speedy denials of coverage—than the health of its customers. The story is told through the prism of Dr. Debby Day, who reviewed claims at Cigna for 15 years and says her...

In Hack Update, UnitedHealth Reveals Ransom Was Paid

It says a 'substantial proportion' of Americans possibly had data stolen

(Newser) - Hackers stole health and personal data from what could amount to a "substantial proportion" of Americans, UnitedHealth said in a Monday update on the February cyberattack on its Change Healthcare subsidiary. UnitedHealth also confirmed that it paid a ransom "as part of the company's commitment to do...

Restaurant Put on Blast for Health Insurance Fee on Bill
Patron Didn't Appreciate
Eatery's 4% Surcharge
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jan 20, 2024 4:30 PM CST

Patron Didn't Appreciate Eatery's 4% Surcharge

Fee added by Atlanta restaurant is to help cover costs for employee health insurance

(Newser) - An Atlanta restaurant is taking heat over what its owners say is an optional fee on customers' tabs to help cover employees' health insurance costs. Fox Business reports on the blowback that JenChan's Pizza and Chinese, an eatery located in the Cabbagetown section of the city, has received since...

Asthma Sufferers Brace for 'Huge Shock to the System'

As of Monday, popular Flovent inhaler will no longer be available in US; generic version will replace it

(Newser) - An inhaler commonly used by people with asthma has just a few days left on drugstore shelves. Fast Company reports that as of Monday, Flovent will be officially discontinued in US pharmacies, though manufacturer GSK says an authorized generic version will take its place. In a November statement , the drugmaker...

Survey Finds 'Huge' Spike in Employee Health Insurance Costs

Job-related health insurance premiums now reflecting inflation pressures

(Newser) - Bad news on the inflation front: The cost of employee health insurance saw its biggest annual increase in more than a decade this year. The average annual premium for family health insurance climbed 7% from 2022 for the biggest annual increase since 2011, per the Wall Street Journal . The cost...

Older and About to Become an Ex? Think Health Insurance

If you're about to divorce in your 50s, 60s, or older, think ahead so you're not left in the lurch

(Newser) - More than 1 in 3 people who divorce in the United States are age 50 or older, and 1 in 4 are 65 or older, according to a 2022 analysis published in the Journals of Gerontology. Divorcing as you near retirement—or after you've retired—comes with considerations: Are...

1.3 Million Diabetic Americans Forced to Ration Insulin

It can have serious if not deadly consequences

(Newser) - Nearly 30 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes, and over 7 million of them rely on a daily dose of insulin, including almost 1.9 million living with Type 1. For them, access to insulin is a matter of life and death, but as the Guardian reports, a recent...

Car Accident Reveals an Odd Insurance Reality

Urgent care medical facilities often don't treat victims from auto crashes

(Newser) - If you visit an urgent care facility rather than a regular emergency room after a car accident, don't be surprised if they refuse service. That's the upshot of the latest "bill of the month" feature from NPR , which puts a focus on medical bills. In this case,...

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