A federal judge will soon decide whether a class action lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group and its algorithm-based care denials can move forward, which would potentially open the door for attorneys to sift through the company’s internal communications.
The lawsuit, in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, alleges that UnitedHealth and its subsidiary NaviHealth relied on flawed algorithms to cut off essential rehabilitative care to sick and injured Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. It was first filed in 2023 after a series of STAT stories revealed the company’s practices. UnitedHealth has denied the allegations and moved to dismiss the case last May. Humana, which has used NaviHealth for its Medicare Advantage plans, faces a similar lawsuit.
A ruling on UnitedHealth’s motion to dismiss could come this month. Big lawsuits usually take years to wind their way through courts, but there’s a sense of urgency in this case for those alleging harm and their families, because many of the alleged victims are elderly and in poor health.
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