“They can celebrate because their profits come from refusing to pay for care that we need,” said Cate Readling from The People’s Lobby in Chicago, whose husband suffers from psoriatic arthritis and has been repeatedly denied care. “Rather than letting our trusted medical providers determine what care we need and receive, United Healthcare bureaucrats and algorithms make the decision – to benefit their bottom line. That ain’t right!”
United announced full-year revenue of more than $400 billion dollars for 2024, much of which, the campaign asserts, comes from the company’s systematic efforts to deny care to its insured, or to otherwise limit or delay access to care.
Speakers included Dr. Toutou Moussa Diallo, a New York-based researcher whose broken ankle deteriorated after she was denied care. Dr. Cheryl Kunis, a nephrologist and member of Physicians for a National Health Care Plan (PNHP), shared the story of one of her patients, who died after UHC refused to cover a scan of a malignant tumor.
“Despite hours on the phone, writing letters of necessity, explaining why the scan was necessary, their only answer was for the patient to file an appeal,” said Dr. Kunis. “The appeal took 6 months. This patient might still be alive if the PET scan had not been denied.”