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Fox News
a day ago
- Health
- Fox News
Civil War spy Elizabeth Van Lew defined courage fighting for what she believed
In an age of instant accolades and viral valor, heroes are everywhere. Celebrities tearfully describing a difficult breakup on daytime TV are deemed heroic. You knew the word had lost all meaning when alleged murderer Luigi Mangione became a "hero" on social media for taking the life of Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare. How is it that we have so lost the thread? Just who qualifies as a hero was on my mind as I began researching my book "Lincoln's Lady Spymaster" several years ago. We were in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, our lives upended. I eagerly ditched the commute and worked from home but as the months in isolation slid by, I began to worry. How long could this go on for? The situation was more dire for many of the young women producers I had worked with in our offices in Manhattan. They were lonely and anxious, living alone in tiny New York apartments or at home in their childhood bedrooms. One young woman I knew started having panic attacks. I wanted to help these co-workers cope – but what could I do? Look, I reasoned with myself, women in this country have faced far more difficult challenges than a temporary lockdown (it had to be temporary, after all!). American women have survived wars, myriad financial panics and so many challenges. I decided I would find a subject, a real woman from our nation's past, someone who lived through challenging times and not only survived but left her mark on the world. I wanted what we all want in a hero – someone acting courageously, not for headlines or money or even public gratitude, but because they felt called to right a wrong regardless of consequences. I first learned of Elizabeth Van Lew the same way we find out about most new things, from a web search. An academic historian had written about her, and she was sometimes included in lists of the moonlight-and-magnolia-style of female civil war spies, the kind historians don't take too seriously. I was hooked when I learned she was a spymaster, and strikingly, a Southern belle who chose to stay faithful to the Union and who ran a spy ring for President Abraham Lincoln's top general, Ulysses S. Grant, while living in Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy. When I began, I thought of myself as knowledgeable about the era. I knew the bright lights, Lincoln, Grant, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. But this woman had left little trace. She was generally missing from much of the Civil War literature. James McPherson mentioned her not at all in his sweeping nearly 900-page history of the conflict, "Battle Cry of Freedom." I learned she had left a diary, where she spilled her fears and hopes during the war. I imagined myself writing a book about a woman whom society underestimates and throws obstacles in her path, a tale of uplift! But my research exposed a secret history – a story Van Lew herself tried to cancel. Unlike other spies, she refused to write a book of her Civil War exploits after the war and conducted few newspaper interviews. I began to discover the real Elizabeth and she surprised me. I found she was complicated and made difficult, morally questionable decisions. She lied to friends and neighbors, brazenly stole secrets from some and bribed others. Although she was a supporter of both the Union and abolitionism, her family owned slaves. Late in the war, as she became frustrated at the pace of Union advances, she tried to convince Union war planners to abduct Confederate leadership. She was the kind of woman who could as easily inspect the body of a dead soldier at dawn under threat of discovery by the enemy as preside over a tea party, swapping gossip and passing canapes. And, yet she provided invaluable information to the Union and ran what historians have described as the most-effective spy ring on either side of the conflict. As I began writing the book, I recalled the fact that co-workers and friends had labeled me a hero when I went public with my diagnosis of Stage 3 breast cancer. While it felt nice to be called a hero, I never really accepted the idea. My fight with cancer was really an act of self-interest. What I saw in Elizabeth Van Lew was someone who acted with no self-regard, inviting risk after risk. Hers was not a Daniel Penny kind of courage, the kind of instant reaction to fight a physical threat on behalf of others that we all admire, but a more sustained battle of conscience and will. In this world, we need both kinds of heroes and could welcome more. This year marks the 160th anniversary of the Civil War's end and Lincoln's assassination. As we remember that tragic war, let's not forget the heroes that emerged, especially those that have remained in the shadows. Elizabeth Van Lew was one of tens of thousands of women who emerged to fight the war in their own way. Hundreds fought on the battlefield following husbands, brothers and fathers into service; women nursed the injured, others ran their family farms and businesses on their own for the first time. Van Lew's story is a testament to the essence of true heroism: unwavering moral conviction, selfless action and the courage to stand against prevailing tides. In an era when the term "hero" is often diluted, her legacy reminds us that real heroes are those who, without fanfare, commit themselves to justice and humanity.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Class Action Filed Against UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) - July 7, 2025 Deadline to Join – Contact Levi & Korsinsky
NEW YORK, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Levi & Korsinsky, LLP notifies investors in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated ('UnitedHealth Group Incorporated' or the 'Company') (NYSE: UNH) of a class action securities lawsuit. CLASS DEFINITION: The lawsuit seeks to recover losses on behalf of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated investors who were adversely affected by alleged securities fraud between December 3, 2024 and April 16, 2025. Follow the link below to get more information and be contacted by a member of our team: UNH investors may also contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 363-7500. CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that defendants made false statements and/or concealed that: (1) UnitedHealth had, for years, engaged in a corporate strategy of denying health coverage in order to boost its profits, and ultimately, its share price; (2) this anti-consumer strategy resulted in regulatory scrutiny against UnitedHealth, which ultimately resulted in the murder of Brian Thompson; (3) animus towards UnitedHealth was such that, subsequent to the murder of Mr. Thompson, many Americans openly celebrated his demise, expressed admiration for his accused killer, and/or otherwise demanded that UnitedHealth change its strategy even if they condemned Mr. Thompson's killing; (4) the foregoing regulatory and public outrage caused UnitedHealth to change its corporate practices; (5) notwithstanding the foregoing, UnitedHealth recklessly stuck with the guidance it issued the day before Thompson's murder, which was unrealistic considering the Company's changing corporate strategies; and (6) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. WHAT'S NEXT? If you suffered a loss in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated during the relevant time frame, you have until July 7, 2025 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. NO COST TO YOU: If you are a class member, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket costs or fees. There is no cost or obligation to participate. WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, the team at Levi & Korsinsky has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. Our firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services' Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States. CONTACT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Joseph E. Levi, Esq. Ed Korsinsky, Esq. 33 Whitehall Street, 17th Floor New York, NY 10004 [email protected] Tel: (212) 363-7500 Fax: (212) 363-7171
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UnitedHealth (UNH) Sets Sights on Market Comeback After Brutal Quarter
UnitedHealth Group's stock (UNH) has hit a rough patch, weighed down by regulatory pressure on its Medicare Advantage programs and rising medical costs. But stepping back from the current turbulence, there's reason for cautious optimism. UnitedHealth's strategic direction and diversified business model leave it well-positioned to benefit from long-term healthcare trends, even as it navigates short-term headwinds. All things considered, I remain cautiously bullish on UNH. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter UnitedHealth is facing challenges on multiple fronts. Most notably, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating potential fraud in its largest revenue source, the Medicare Advantage (MA) business. This follows a civil inquiry into whether the company exaggerated patient diagnoses to secure higher payments for its MA plans, a serious allegation. UnitedHealth has denied any knowledge of a criminal investigation, so for now, that aspect remains speculative. These concerns come as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to audit all Medicare Advantage programs, placing additional scrutiny on UnitedHealth. Given that the MA business is a critical part of UnitedHealthcare—one of the company's two core segments alongside Optum—this spotlight could have meaningful implications. In its first quarter 2025 earnings, UnitedHealthcare's revenues were $84.6 billion out of total revenues of $109.6 billion. As of Q1 2025, UnitedHealthcare had 8.2 million MA members, making up nearly 20% of the total domestic membership. In addition to mounting regulatory pressure, UnitedHealth's Medicare Advantage (MA) business is being squeezed by rising medical costs. An aging population is driving higher-than-expected utilization of healthcare services, while government reimbursement rates are slow to keep pace. For example, the planned 5.06% increase in reimbursement for 2026, though helpful, is unlikely to fully offset the surge in expenses, leaving MA providers like UnitedHealth in a difficult position. These cost pressures have already forced the company to lower its full-year 2025 earnings guidance. Compounding the situation are the lingering effects of the February 2024 ransomware attack on its Change Healthcare subsidiary, which exposed sensitive data of millions of patients. On top of that, the company is still reeling from the tragic assassination of former CEO Brian Thompson last December, adding further disruption during an already turbulent period. For investors, turbulent periods like this echo Warren Buffett's famous advice: 'Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.' UnitedHealth's newly reappointed CEO, Stephen J. Hemsley, is well-suited to lead through uncertainty, having already steered the company through the 2008 financial crisis during his previous tenure from 2006 to 2017. Importantly, UnitedHealth's business model is both defensive and diversified, extending well beyond its Medicare Advantage operations. Its Optum segment, which includes health services, pharmacy benefits management, and healthcare technology, is a major growth driver. In the first quarter alone, Optum's revenue rose by $2.8 billion to $63.9 billion. Optum's success also reinforces the MA business through its focus on value-based care, creating a potential flywheel effect that enhances overall efficiency and patient outcomes. And with powerful long-term tailwinds in the healthcare sector, particularly from an aging population, UnitedHealth—as the largest MA provider—remains well-positioned for future growth. On Wall Street, UNH sports a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 19 Buy, six Hold, and one Sell ratings in the past three months. UNH's average price target of $380.59 implies a 28% upside potential over the next 12 months. Given the factors surrounding the stock, UNH has been subject to many rating downgrades this past month. For instance, HSBC analyst Sidharth Sahoo downgraded UNH to Sell due to several risks, including 'potential increases in the medical loss ratio, policy risks related to Optum Rx, and lower return on equity expectations. Additionally, the cancellation of 2025 earnings guidance has increased the downside risk for future earnings, and potential Medicaid funding cuts could further impact the company's financial performance.' Not all analysts share Sahoo's cautious outlook. JPMorgan's Lisa Gill maintains a Buy rating on UnitedHealth, viewing the recent stock decline as 'overdone.' She contends that The Guardian's report, which contributed to market volatility, misrepresents how UnitedHealth manages hospitalizations. In her view, the misconduct allegations don't hold up under scrutiny. Gill essentially dismisses the report's claims, emphasizing a logical rationale behind UnitedHealthcare incentivizing nursing facilities to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, since it can lead to better outcomes and lower costs for all parties. That said, such programs must be implemented with care and integrity. Ethically, once a hospital transfer becomes medically necessary—say, in the case of stroke symptoms—it should never be delayed or denied. In response to the article, UnitedHealth issued a statement asserting that the Department of Justice had previously reviewed the matter and chose not to take further action. In summary, UnitedHealth's recent volatility could present a compelling opportunity for investors willing to ride out the turbulence. The company is clearly facing a tough stretch, with heightened regulatory scrutiny, rising medical costs, and the lasting impact of the Change Healthcare cyberattack creating significant near-term headwinds. However, looking beyond the immediate challenges, UnitedHealth's relatively conservative valuation and well-diversified business model provide a strong platform for long-term recovery. The road ahead may be uneven, but the company appears well-positioned to navigate the storm and emerge stronger on the other side. Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue
Politico
4 days ago
- Health
- Politico
States take the reins on insurance reform
Presented by Driving The Day STATE CRACKDOWN — Congressional lawmakers have tried and failed several times to push through a bipartisan, health-industry-backed bill that would speed up health insurers' prior authorization processes for certain prescription drugs and medical services. Congress will launch another attempt this year, but a growing number of blue and red states have taken the matter into their own hands. In 2024, at least 10 states passed laws to reform the prior authorization process, according to a report from the American Medical Association. Insurers use prior authorization to control costs. The state action continues to increase in 2025. Within the past few months, states including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina and North Dakota have either proposed or enacted reforms aimed at simplifying and streamlining prior authorization. And other states, including Illinois, Georgia, Texas, Rhode Island, Minnesota and Florida, have proposed cracking down on the use of artificial intelligence in prior authorization decisions. Why it matters: The uptick in state prior authorization reforms comes as health insurers have come under intense public and congressional scrutiny over how often they deny care, especially in the wake of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. The use of AI to deny care has also put insurers in the hot seat, with UnitedHealth Group facing a lawsuit over allegations that it used AI to wrongfully deny care to Medicare Advantage patients. The state reforms also come amid a lack of congressional action on the issue, despite widespread bipartisan and industry support for reforming the prior authorization process, which can sometimes be slow and administratively burdensome — impeding patients' access to necessary medical care. Even so: State power to regulate prior authorization is limited. While states have considerable authority over insurance companies operating within their markets, the federal government has jurisdiction over self-insured employer health plans and Medicare Advantage plans. 'State action is important, but it's not complete without federal action in some ways, because it's a federal requirement for employers, for self-insured and for Medicare Advantage plans, that state activity is not going to touch them,' said Kaye Pestaina, director of KFF's Program on Patient and Consumer Protections. Background: Last week, bipartisan lawmakers in the House and the Senate reintroduced the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act — a bill that would streamline prior authorization for older adults enrolled in Medicare Advantage. Despite widespread support from lawmakers, providers, doctors and insurers — and estimated to cost $0 by the last Congress — the repeatedly introduced bill has yet to pass. WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY PULSE. A new study found that teens living in areas with more access to cannabis retailers face significantly higher rates of mental health issues. Send your tips, scoops and feedback to khooper@ and ccirruzzo@ and follow along @Kelhoops and @ChelseaCirruzzo. At the Agencies A THREAT TO MEDICAL JOURNALS — HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is escalating his war on institutions he says are influenced by pharmaceutical companies, Chelsea reports. On Tuesday, Kennedy, speaking on the 'Ultimate Human' podcast — a show hosted by a longevity expert that focuses on optimizing health — threatened to stop government scientists from publishing their work in major medical journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and The Lancet. He said the influential medical journals are 'corrupt' and publish studies that pharmaceutical companies fund and approve. 'Unless those journals change dramatically, we are going to stop NIH scientists from publishing in them, and we're going to create our own journals in-house,' he said. NIH is the world's largest funder of health research. Key context: Kennedy's comments come days after his Make America Healthy Again Commission released a report saying overprescribed medications could be driving a rise in chronic disease in children, suggesting the pharmaceutical industry has an outsize influence on doctors and scientists. It also comes after both JAMA and NEJM received letters from the Department of Justice probing them for partisanship. A JAMA spokesperson said the journal had nothing to add when asked about Kennedy's remarks, while NEJM and The Lancet did not respond to requests for comment. HHS also did not respond to requests for comment. Even so: Kennedy's stance conflicts with that of his NIH director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who recently told a reporter with POLITICO sister publication WELT that he supports academic freedom, which 'means I can send my paper out even if my bosses disagree with me.' UPPING STATE OVERSIGHT — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is warning states against using federal dollars to pay for the health care of undocumented immigrants. In a Tuesday letter, the agency notified states it's ramping up financial oversight of state Medicaid expenditures to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order on 'Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.' The increased oversight includes 'focused reviews' of certain state spending reports and in-depth reviews of state financial management systems. The agency will also review eligibility rules in federal regulations and 'be proposing revisions as may be necessary.' 'Medicaid is not, and cannot be, a backdoor pathway to subsidize open borders,' said CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz in a news release. 'States have a duty to uphold the law and protect taxpayer funds. We are putting them on notice — CMS will not allow federal dollars to be diverted to cover those who are not lawfully eligible.' Key context: Undocumented immigrants are generally not eligible for Medicaid, though some states have used state-only funds to expand coverage to noncitizens. The increased oversight from CMS comes as Republicans' 'big, beautiful bill,' which passed the House, includes a provision that would penalize states that have expanded Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants by reducing the federal matching rate for the Medicaid expansion population for those states. Vaccines CDC'S COVID VAX CHANGE — The CDC no longer recommends that 'healthy' children and pregnant women receive the Covid-19 vaccine, a controversial change that's perplexed some public health experts, POLITICO's Sophie Gardner and David Lim report. On Tuesday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the guidance change in a post on social media platform X, saying 'it's common sense and it's good science.' 'We're now one step closer to realizing President Trump's promise to make America healthy again,' Kennedy said in a video, standing beside FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. Kennedy cited 'a lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children.' Background: The CDC had recommended the vaccine for everyone at least 6 months old. Kennedy has long maintained that Covid vaccines aren't safe, despite the medical consensus that they are. Most Americans have stopped getting Covid vaccines. The most recent CDC data says about 1 in 8 children under 18 have received the latest shot, while fewer than 1 in 4 adults ages 18 and older have. Key context: The change bucks the CDC's precedent for updating vaccine recommendations, which typically takes place after a panel of experts votes on proposed changes. 'I'm disturbed for a couple reasons,' said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, which represents public health workers. 'I don't believe that they followed the normal process whereby you bring the advisory committees into this decision.' Other experts raised concerns about the public health implications of the decision. 'I'm perplexed by this decision,' said Mark Turrentine, an OB-GYN and professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. 'A lot of pregnant people died of Covid, especially during the Delta wave. And we know Covid still hasn't gone away. And we know pregnant people are a high-risk group. And we have a lot of data that the vaccine provides strong protection for both the mother and the baby.' WHAT WE'RE READING POLITICO's Victor Goury-Laffont reports on France advancing an assisted-dying bill in a historic vote. STAT's Jason Mast reports on what one child's success story means for the CRISPR gene-editing industry.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UnitedHealth Group faces lawsuit claiming it used ex-employees' 401(k) funds to defray its own costs
improperly uses workers' funds to reduce its own 401(k) contributions, according to a lawsuit against the nation's largest health insurer that is seeking class-action status. The company denies the claims. It's just one in a string of lawsuits facing the beleaguered company. Add two more lawsuits to the pile facing UnitedHealth Group. America's largest insurer is facing two purported class-action suits from former employees alleging the company misused their 401(k) contributions. The latest suit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Minnesota, claims that UnitedHealth Group held on to employees' money after they left and used it to improperly lower its own costs, the plaintiffs argue. The move is a breach of UHG's duty to act in the best interests of its retirement plan participants—ie, the current and former workers invested in its 401(k) plan. As the suit describes it, UHG, which took in $400 billion in revenue last year, has a fairly standard corporate 401(k) plan, matching up to 6% of employees' pay under certain conditions. However, employees forfeit the money UHG contributed to their plan if they leave before completing two years with the company. Between 2019 and 2023, UHG used $19 million in forfeited funds to reduce its own matching contributions, instead of using it to reduce administrative fees for the 401(k) accounts. That was a breach of UHG's fiduciary duty to plan participants, the plaintiff argues. A 'prudent fiduciary in like circumstances would have defrayed expenses to the Plan's participants rather than defray costs to the employer,' says the lawsuit, claiming UHG caused 'participants to incur millions in expenses that could otherwise have been covered in whole or in part by forfeited funds.' In not acting in pan participants' best interests, UHG violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the suit claims. It is seeking class-action status. UHG's 401(k) plan has $22 billion in assets and counts 267,000 participants, according to Department of Labor documents. 'Our 401(k) plan fiduciaries have always acted in accordance with ERISA and in the best interests of plan participants, and we strongly deny any allegations to the contrary,' a company spokesperson said in a statement. 'We will move to dismiss at the earliest opportunity.' Last year, UHG paid $69 million to settle claims that fund selections in its 401(k) plan underperformed the market. It's also facing a number of lawsuits relating to its provision of health care. CalPERS, the California state retirement system, has sued UHG claiming the insurer illegally 'upcodes' Medicare Advantage treatments, making patients seem sicker than they are, an allegation of massive fraud that is also subject to a federal Department of Justice investigation. Families of patients who died are suing UHG, alleging the company relied on an AI algorithm to deny care, and shareholders have sued in connection with UHG's reaction after the killing of CEO Brian Thompson. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
