Republican lawmaker criticizes UnitedHealthcare for Medicare fraud

A Republican lawmaker is criticizing UnitedHealthcare for its Medicare plan. Representative Greg Murphy from North Carolina called the company the "worst offender" in the Medicare industry during an appearance on Fox Business. He said that UnitedHealthcare is "pushing" the boundaries of Medicare fraud. Murphy's comments come as more than 32 million Americans were enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans last year, which are a privatized version of Medicare. There has been growing backlash against UnitedHealthcare since the murder of its CEO, Brian Thompson, in New York City, with many people frustrated over denied claims. Murphy highlighted bipartisan support for reforming Medicare, noting that UnitedHealthcare charges about $1,000 more per enrollee than other insurers. He accused the company of exaggerating health conditions to receive more money from the government, labeling their behavior a "scam." Experts have expressed concerns about the practices of private insurers like UnitedHealthcare. A previous lawsuit claimed the company used artificial intelligence to deny coverage to some patients, even though the AI had a high error rate. UnitedHealthcare has also faced legal issues regarding unauthorized marketing calls and settled a class action lawsuit for $2.5 million this year. In response to the allegations, UnitedHealthcare stated that it approves about 90 percent of medical claims when first submitted. The company encouraged people to consider the accuracy of claims made about its practices. Financial experts noted that the current structure of Medicare Advantage could be harmful to patients and costly for the government. They stressed that the focus should be on patient care rather than insurance profits. As concerns grow, members of Congress may become more critical of private insurers and the impact of Medicare Advantage on government spending.