I Got Cancer at 35. The Health Insurance System Delayed My Treatment for Months – truthout

UnitedHealthcare taught us ways to deny claims: Former employee – msn

Health insurance ‘delay tactic’ is too common: Former Cigna executive – News Nation

Insurers Continue to Rely on Doctors Whose Judgments Have Been Criticized by Courts – ProPublica

“The U.S. Department of Labor, which regulates health insurance plans for about 136 million Americans, is responsible for making sure that insurance companies are loyal to the patients, not just to the company’s bottom line.

“Grant Vaught, a spokesperson for the federal agency, said it has opened “some investigations into the conduct of the individual doctors and psychiatrists employed by insurers,” but declined to specify an exact number. One case resulted in the removal of a doctor and the review organization they worked for. Vaught did not elaborate on whether physicians in any other cases faced professional repercussions. Agency officials said they don’t have the budget or staff to adequately police insurers. Despite repeated requests to Congress for more funding and stronger enforcement tools, the agency has not received much of what it asked for…

“In interviews with ProPublica, federal judges criticized a system that fails to address problems that arise in court case after court case. They faulted the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which governs many insurance claims in court, for not allowing for punitive damages, the sort that can rise into the millions of dollars and deter companies from bad conduct.”

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