Minnesota Public Radio is looking for doctors to interview for their upcoming story on UnitedHealth:
I’m a reporter with Minnesota Public Radio, and I’m working on a story about UnitedHealth Group and its CEO Bill McGuire. I’m trying to locate doctors who have experience (good or bad) with the company, but it’s hard to find such doctors in Minnesota, because state law forbids for-profit health insurers from operating here. Ultimately, I’d like to hear from people who might be willing to go on the record, but I’d also be interested in any general comments or suggestions about aspects of the UnitedHealth story to pursue, as well as any recommendations for doctors or experts to speak to.My main questions at this juncture are as follows: Do you think UnitedHealth has played a big role, for better or worse, in shaping the world of health care? Can you relate an anecdote or experience about your interactions with UnitedHealth that would help the public understand the company?
You may contact me at abaxter(at)mpr.org.
Related posts:
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- UnitedHealth: "The health care system isn’t healthy"
- Is UnitedHealth behind the "Dr. Nurse"?
- The 0.0000005 percent fine to William Mcguire
- UnitedHealth continues its attacks on doctors
- Talking health care reform and social media in medicine
- UnitedHealth: Please insert foot in mouth
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Being a physician, Dr. Maguire knew about the waste and fraud in healthcare and he aggressively implemented policies to deny payment whenever there was a question about the validity of a charge. He also exploited the small physician office that had neither the resources nor expertise to challenge United’s denials. United is at least partially responsible for the mass exodus of primary care physicians from medicine. As CEO, he had an opportunity to rectify many of the reimbursement inequities between cognitive and interventional medicine, but instead he exploited physicians and lined his own pockets. Unless integrity becomes a fundamental attribute of our leaders, society will continue to suffer from the misdeeds of corporate miscreants. I’m not holding my breath for a change any time soon.
David L. Winn, M.D., FAAFP
CEO, e-MDs
As a medical biller, I can say that United’s reimbursement rates are among the lowest. For example a 99213 pays:
HMOs $80 to 90s
Aetna $60.22
Cigna $60.00
Medicare $55.35
United Healthcare $55.07
Medicaid $52.10
United should be ashamed of that!
Karl Henck, medical biller
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