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UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer whose CEO was killed earlier this month, is accused in a new article of working hard to reduce access to treatment considered “critical” for children with autism.
A report from ProPublica claims that UnitedHealthcare is strategically limiting access to behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy for autism patients as a way to cut costs. The report was based on internal documents obtained by the outlet that are said to show the company’s strategy, which was developed by the mental health benefits unit, Optum.
UnitedHealthcare’s corporate headquarters on December 4, 2024 in Minnetonka, Minnesota. United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed on a street in New York City before attending the company’s annual investor meeting. (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images / Getty Images)
| A ticker | Security | Finally | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNH | Company UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC. | 610.20 | +1.82 |
+0.30% |
According to the report, UnitedHealthcare acknowledges ABA as the “gold standard evidence-based treatment for those with medically necessary needs,” but the company intends to “prevent new providers” of the treatment from joining its network and remove existing ones for “a very long time.” waiting lists” for treatment elsewhere.
The report says Optum’s strategy targets children who are insured through Medicaid, the state-run government program that provides health care to low-income people.
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FOX Business has reached out to UnitedHealthcare and Optum for comment.
UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, in New York City. (FOX 5 New York / WNYW | UnitedHealth / Fox News)
UnitedHealthcare has been in the spotlight since CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in New York City on Dec. 4 one gunner.
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The suspect in the murder case, Luigi Mangione, reportedly identified UnitedHealthcare in a handwritten manifesto, noting the size of the company and how much it makes. However, Mangione was not a member of UnitedHealthcare.
Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione is headed to the Blair County Courthouse for an extradition hearing on Dec. 10, 2024 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. (Photos by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Following Thompson’s murder, many people on social media expressed disdain for his killing and in some cases even made fun of it, expressing their frustration with the American health care system.
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Last week, Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, wrote an op-ed in the New York Times, calling for health care reform and transparency in the industry.
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