But some doctors say the program is more public relations than meaningful action. "I've never qualified for a gold card," said Dr. Maria Abreu, president of the American Gastroenterology Association and director of the Crohn's and Colitis Center at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.
UnitedHealth denies prior authorization requests at a higher rate than average, but isn't the most prolific refuser, according to data on Medicare Advantage rates from health-policy nonprofit KFF. (Information about private employer-run plans, through which most people get their insurance, isn't publicly available).
UnitedHealth hasn't released information about the denial rates for all of its plans, which include insurance for private employers. After Thompson's death, the company said it approves 90% of all claims, and less than 1% of those that required review from the insurer were due to clinical or medical reasons.
Inna Sarkisyan, who worked for UnitedHealth for 12 years but lost her job as an auditor in May, said Witty's speeches to the rank-and-file about wanting to help customers had made her proud to work there. She especially appreciated his talk about how it took a village to take good care of patients. "I adored him," she said.
She had grown cynical earlier this year, however, about whether he genuinely wanted to help.
"He had mentioned the quality standards, how quality affects everything. His investors, if they see a lot of mistakes, they won't trust him, and he has to make them happy," she said. "That's what got me, even though he was the one that used to talk about how it takes a village."
--Peter Loftus contributed to this article.
Write to Kevin T. Dugan at kevin.dugan@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 28, 2024 05:30 ET (10:30 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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