UnitedHealth allegedly received $8.7 billion in extra federal payments in 2021 just for diagnoses that were never actually treated. Through their "HouseCalls"

UnitedHealth allegedly received $8.7 billion in extra federal payments in 2021 just for diagnoses that were never actually treated. Through their "HouseCalls" unit, each nurse visit triggered an average of $2,735 in additional government payments; just for documenting conditions, not treating them. UnitedHealth trained doctors to document revenue-generating diagnoses Used software to suggest profitable diagnoses Paid bonuses to providers who followed these suggestions Added diagnoses without lab tests or confirmation The same patients suddenly had many more lucrative diagnoses after joining UnitedHealth's Medicare Advantage plans versus before. When confronted, rather than addressing the specific allegations about billing practices, UnitedHealth called the WSJs reporting "outrageous and false" and claimed it was part of a "campaign against Medicare Advantage." The company seemingly built entire systems in a deliberate, systematic effort to maximize government payments rather than isolated incidents or honest mistakes.