UnitedHealthcare Faces Backlash After Legal Threats Over Doctor's Social Media Posts

The insurer hired a prominent defamation law firm to counter claims made by a Texas surgeon about denied patient care, following increased scrutiny after its CEO's murder.

• UnitedHealthcare retained Clare Locke, a top defamation law firm, to address social media posts by Dr. Elisabeth Potter, a Texas surgeon, accusing the company of denying medically necessary care.
• Dr. Potter alleged she had to step out of surgery to contact UnitedHealthcare regarding a pre-approved overnight stay for her cancer patient, which was ultimately denied.
• The company disputes Potter's claims, stating that no insurance-related circumstances would require a physician to leave surgery, and labeled her accusations as false and dangerous.
• Potter received a demand letter from Clare Locke asking her to delete her posts, issue a public apology, and condemn threats allegedly resulting from her statements; she has refused to comply, asserting her claims are truthful.
• The controversy follows the December assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which has drawn public attention to issues within the U.S. healthcare system.

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Mediaite Above the Law New York Post