Senate Report Exposes Rising Denial Rates in Medicare Advantage Care
WSHA
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Contributed by: Kate Gamble
Summary
A Senate report highlights rising denial rates for post-acute care requests from major Medicare Advantage insurers, specifically UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Aetna. Between 2020 and 2022, UnitedHealthcare's denial rate for such services more than doubled, while Humana's increased by 54%. The report, stemming from a year-long investigation by the Senate Homeland Security Committee, raises concerns about the private insurance system's impact on care access for older Americans. Insurers' denial practices, particularly the use of algorithms, were scrutinized, prompting pushback from UnitedHealthcare and CVS, which defend their compliance with regulatory standards.
