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UnitedHealthcare to assess ER claims, sticking patients with bills
UnitedHealthcare’s policy affects commercially insured patients with employer-sponsored plans and does not apply to patients with Medicare Advantage or contracted Medicaid coverage with UnitedHealthcare, Lempner said.
The insurer’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, earned $6.7 billion in the first quarter of the year, according to the hospital association.
“Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” Pollack said in his letter. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.
UnitedHealthcare’s policy affects commercially insured patients with employer-sponsored plans and does not apply to patients with Medicare Advantage or contracted Medicaid coverage with UnitedHealthcare, Lempner said.
The insurer’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, earned $6.7 billion in the first quarter of the year, according to the hospital association.
“Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” Pollack said in his letter. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.