Latest news with #InstitutionalSpecialNeedsProgram
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UnitedHealthcare sues The Guardian for defamation after explosive nursing home story
UnitedHealthcare is suing British newspaper The Guardian for defamation, alleging that the outlet falsely accused them of enticing nursing homes to enroll in a special program that works to restrict medical expenses for elderly patients. "The Guardian knowingly published false and misleading claims about our Institutional Special Needs Program, forcing us to take action to protect the clinician-patient relationship that is crucial for delivering high-quality care. The Guardian refused to engage with the truth and chose instead to print its predetermined narrative," UnitedHealthcare told Fox News Digital in a statement. The Guardian article, published May 21, claimed that UnitedHealthcare is pursuing cost-cutting tactics that jeopardize the health of nursing home patients. The article claims that the health insurance giant provides what amounts to secret bonuses to enroll in a program that stations medical staff that reports directly to UnitedHealthcare, and in practice works to reduce hospitalizations for patients, some of whom allegedly may urgently need the care. Unitedhealthcare Ceo Murder Suspect Luigi Mangione Indicted In New York The article also claims UnitedHealthcare financially entices nursing homes to join their "Institutional Special Needs" program, and allegedly illegally had nursing homes share confidential patient data with the insurer so that it could skirt federal law and market programs to patients – some of whom lack the capacity to make financial decisions on their own – and families. The Guardian also alleged that UnitedHealthcare leaned on nursing home staff to convince patients to sign DNR's, even if they had expressed a desire for all medical options to be used to save their life. "A recent article published by The Guardian presents a narrative built largely on anecdotes rather than facts. It is unfortunate that the article misrepresents a program that, in reality, improves health outcomes for seniors through on-site clinical care, personalized treatment plans, and enhanced coordination among caregivers. We stand firmly behind the integrity of our programs, which consistently receive high satisfaction ratings from our members," UnitedHealthcare said in a statement in response to the article in May. Read On The Fox News App The lawsuit alleged that The Guardian used a "heavily cropped screenshot" of an internal UnitedHealthcare email which they claim, when seen in full, contradicts their reporting. The suit also accuses The Guardian of "gratuitously" linking its report to the assassination of their former CEO Brian Thompson. Unitedhealth Shares Slide As Criminal Probe Report Adds To Investor Fears "The Guardian knew these accusations were false, but published them anyway," the lawsuit stated. The Guardian told Fox News Digital it stood by its reporting. "The Guardian stands by its deeply-sourced, independent reporting, which is based on thousands of corporate and patient records, publicly filed lawsuits, declarations submitted to federal and state agencies, and interviews with more than 20 current and former UnitedHealth employees – as well as statements and information provided by UnitedHealth itself over several weeks. It's outrageous that in response to factual reporting on the practice of secretly paying nursing homes to reduce hospitalizations for vulnerable patients, UnitedHealth is resorting to wildly misleading claims and intimidation tactics via the courts," a representative from The Guardian said. Click To Get The Fox News App When asked by Fox News Digital for clarification regarding the "heavily cropped screenshot," a representative for The Guardian said the image was in fact a "visual illustration" and the so-called missing information was provided "in an on-record comment and a denial from UnitedHealth" in the proceeding paragraph. The Guardian rep also claimed that UnitedHealthcare never asked the press outlet to alter the article source: UnitedHealthcare sues The Guardian for defamation after explosive nursing home story
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
UnitedHealthcare accuses The Guardian of trying to ‘capitalize' on CEO's killing: defamation lawsuit
UnitedHealtcare slapped The Guardian with a defamation lawsuit over a story by the publication related to its billing for nursing home residents. At issue is The Guardian's May 21 story, which alleged that the health care giant made secret payments to nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers in an effort to save money. The lawsuit, which was filed in Delaware Superior Court late Wednesday, claims that The Guardian had knowlingly published demonstrably false' information and tried to capitalize on media interest in the killing of its then-CEO Brian Thompson last year in New York. 4 UnitedHealthCare is suing The Guardian for a May 21 piece, alleging that the health care giant made secret payments to nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers in an effort to save money AFP via Getty Images The health care company alleged that The Guardian used internal emails — which it published excerpts from — were quoted out of context. United Healtcare also disputed some of The Guardian's characterizations of medical events detailed in its exposé 'The Guardian knowingly published false and misleading claims about our Institutional Special Needs Program, forcing us to take action to protect the clinician-patient relationship that is crucial for delivering high-quality care,' a rep for UnitedHealthcare claimed. 'The Guardian refused to engage with the truth and chose instead to print its predetermined narrative.' A rep for The Guardian shot back at UnitedHeathcare's lawsuit, telling The Post that it stands by its May 21 reporting and that it intends to defend itself in court. 'The Guardian stands by its deeply-sourced, independent reporting, which is based on thousands of corporate and patient records, publicly filed lawsuits, declarations submitted to federal and state agencies, and interviews with more than 20 current and former UnitedHealth employees – as well as statements and information provided by UnitedHealth itself over several weeks,' the rep claimed. 'It's outrageous that in response to factual reporting on the practice of secretly paying nursing homes to reduce hospitalizations for vulnerable patients, UnitedHealth is resorting to wildly misleading claims and intimidation tactics via the courts,' he added. In the story, The Guardian claimed internal emails revealed that UnitedHealth supervisors gave their teams 'budgets' showing how many hospital admissions they had 'left' to use up on nursing home patients. 4 An excerpt from The Guardian's May 21 article. The outlet also reported that leaked emails showed that the company also monitored nursing homes that had smaller numbers of patients with 'do not resuscitate' – or DNR – and 'do not intubate' orders in their files. 'The article used a heavily cropped screenshot of an internal UnitedHealth email to knowlingly and falsely accuse UnitedHealth of coercing nursing home residents into digning 'do not rescusitate' papers as a 'cost cutting tactic… even when patients had clearly expressed a desire that all available treatments be used to keep them alive' This is unquestionably defamatory,' the lawsuit alleged. 'The Guardian knew these accusations were false, but published them anyway, brazenly trying to capitalize on the tragic and shocking assassination of UnitedHealthcare's then-CEO, Brian Thompson,' the suit added. 4 UnitedHealthcare claimed that The Guardian, in publishing its article, was trying to 'capitalize' on the murder of its then-CEO Brian Thompson. UnitedHealth Group 4 Accused killer Luigi Mangione was arrested for Thompson's murder and has since pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges. Steven Hirsch for NY Post Thompson was gunned down on a Manhattan sidewalk on Dec. 4 last year. Accused killer Luigi Mangione, 27, was arrested and has since pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges. The embattled UnitedHealthcare has been in the hot seat in recent weeks. The Department of Justice revealed in May that it is investigating UnitedHealthcare for Medicare fraud. Shares of the insurance company have cratered nearly 26% in the last month, as a result.
