United Healthcare denies claim of woman in coma

A post on social media from Dr. Zachary Levy, who said UnitedHealthcare denied the claims of one of his patients, who is in a coma, has gone viral.

Newsweek has reached out to United Healthcare via email and Levy via social media for comment.

Why it matters

Many Americans have expressed frustration with the health insurance system, which was brought into focus when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in New York, allegedly by Luigi Mangione, who has been charged in connection with the killing and is awaiting trial. Mangione pleaded not guilty to murder and weapons charges.

In the wake of Thompson’s killing, the health insurance industry is under intense scrutiny, and many have called for reforms to the system, with some executives promising to look at changes in the industry.

At the scene of the crime, shell casings were located by the police with the words “deny”, “defend” and “dismiss” cut into them. This indicates that the killer likely had a vendetta against UnitedHealthcare or the insurance industry, as the words are associated with the industry’s legal and administrative strategies for handling claims and disputes. They reflect a pattern in which the company may reject claims, defend its decisions in legal or regulatory challenges, and depose plaintiffs or witnesses in related litigation.

What to know

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, that has been viewed more than 13 million times, Levy said United Healthcare rejected the claim to one of his ICU patents.

Levy said his patient is suffering from a brain hemorrhage, is in a coma, on a ventilator and is in heart failure.

Levy said the claim was dismissed “because I have not proven to them that caring for her in the hospital was ‘medically necessary.’

Levy commented on his post and shared an email he drafted to share with UnitedHealthcare. In the letter, he said the patient’s treatment “was medically necessary to prevent them from dying.”

Many insurance companies require prior authorization for routine and life-saving treatments. This is a procedure that doctors and patients have criticized and questioned. UnitedHealthcare was previously involved in a lawsuit where the company was accused of using an artificial intelligence tool that led to a 90 percent error rate. This meant that care was denied to many as patients could not afford life-saving care.

What people say

UnitedHealthcare, which has not commented publicly on Levy’s post, said in a press release on its website on Dec. 13: “UnitedHealthcare approves and pays about 90 percent of medical claims upon submission. Importantly, of those that require further review, about one-half of one percent are due to medical or clinical reasons. Highly inaccurate and grossly misleading information has been circulated about our company’s handling of insurance claims.”

Dr. Zachary Levy said in a post on X: “Tear it all down,” in what appears to be a reference to the US health care system, which many professionals have been advocating for reform.

What’s next

As Thompson’s killing has put conversations about health care firmly in the spotlight, it’s likely that discourse about the industry will continue in the coming months.

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