UnitedHealthcare Criticized After Surgeon Interrupted Mid-Surgery for Insurance Inquiry

A Texas doctor was forced to pause a cancer surgery to address a UnitedHealthcare representative's questions, highlighting systemic issues in U.S. health insurance practices.

• Dr. Elisabeth Potter, a plastic surgeon in Texas, was interrupted during a breast cancer reconstruction surgery by a call from UnitedHealthcare questioning the necessity of the patient's overnight hospital stay.
• The surgery had already been pre-approved, but the insurance representative lacked access to the patient’s full medical information, forcing Potter to leave the operating room to respond.
• Potter described the incident as emblematic of a healthcare system increasingly burdened by insurance bureaucracy, stating, 'Insurance is out of control.'
• UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer, has faced significant criticism for practices that delay or deny care, including the use of error-prone AI systems to reject claims.
• The incident follows broader scrutiny of for-profit health insurance systems, with experts and advocates highlighting the negative impact on both patients and healthcare providers.

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