Investigation into UnitedHealthcare's Practices

An investigation has been launched into UnitedHealthcare regarding its Medicare billing practices, particularly focusing on the potential overdiagnosis of patients for financial gain. The inquiry aims to determine whether the company encouraged healthcare providers to code for conditions that patients did not actually have, thereby generating additional payments from Medicare. Reports indicated that patients transitioning from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage saw a 55% increase in documented illness severity under UnitedHealthcare, compared to a lower industry average. The implications of this investigation could prompt changes across the broader healthcare insurance industry, as scrutiny increases on how diagnoses are coded and billed.