Kimberly L. Wright

Health insurance CEO slain: As you may know by now, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson was shot and killed early Wednesday in Manhattan on the way to an investors’ conference in what the NYPD are calling a targeted, premeditated shooting. Folks on the internet responded with, at the very least, indifference, considering the vile business of American health insurance. Some made offhand, bloodthirsty comments. Such is the nature of social media.

As someone pointed out, it can’t really be termed health care because it’s a money-making business that preys upon the public. Any health care that’s delivered is beside the point when there’s a buck to be made. People also responded with the many ways this particular health insurance company has tried to kill them by denying essential coverage.

Indeed, CBS News reported last year on a lawsuit filed by the family of two deceased patients against UnitedHealth, alleging the company is using faulty AI to deny elderly patients care owed to them under their Medicare Advantage plans, causing the patients financial and medical harms.

UnitedHealthcare is the health benefits business of UnitedHealth Group.

The allegedly defective AI model, called nH Predict, is known to have a 90% error rate, but it enabled UnitedHealth to “prematurely and in bad faith discontinue payment” to the patients, the lawsuit said.

A study by Stat News published last year backs up the lawsuits claims: “UnitedHealth Group has repeatedly said its algorithm, which predicts how long patients will need to stay in rehab, is merely a guidepost for their recoveries. But inside the company, managers delivered a much different message: that the algorithm was to be followed precisely so payment could be cut off by the date it predicted.”

The allegedly faulty algorithm is also being used by Humana, Ars Technica reported.

In addition, a more recent ProPublica story says UnitedHealth is also using an algorithm to deny mental health claims, even for those patients deemed high risk: “Optum, its subsidiary that manages its mental health coverage, is taking aim at those who give or get ‘unwarranted’ treatment, flagging patients who receive more than 30 sessions in eight months. The insurer estimates its ‘outlier management’ strategy will contribute to savings of up to $52 million, according to company documents.”

More bad news from the Supreme Court: Looks like these life-appointed clerics are set to make more rights disappear. They held a hearing on Tennessee’s ban on transgender care for youth, and appear set to allow the ban to continue, according to reports.

Twenty-six states have passed some sort of ban on youth transgender care, with 39.4% of transgender youth living in a state with a ban, according to the Human Rights Campaign, even though such care is backed by health care professional organizations. Several of the bans are on hold pending litigation.

Florida has also enacted a law restricting transgender care for adults.

The high court will issue its opinion on the case next year. Oral arguments for each term typically conclude in April.