Senate Judiciary Chair demands UnitedHealth turn over Medicare records

Mere days after a report claimed UnitedHealthcare was being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for upcoding Medicare Advantage claims, the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to CEO Andrew Witty demanding details on billing practices.

According to the letter obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) instructed Witty to hand over training manuals and guidance documents related to payments received by the insurer, including detailed compliance audits and reviews of medical charts.

Citing multiple reports from the outlet, Grassley wrote that “the apparent fraud, waste, and abuse at issue is simply unacceptable and harms not only Medicare beneficiaries, but also the American taxpayer.”

According to previous coverage in the Wall Street Journal, the DOJ is investigating whether UnitedHealth was misrepresenting patient diagnoses to increase the monthly payments it receives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as part of the Medicare Advantage program.

In a statement, UnitedHealth denied the claim and said the company is unaware of any investigation by federal authorities, accusing reporters at the Wall Street Journal of repeatedly spreading “misinformation” related to the Medicare Advantage program.

"We are not aware of the 'launch' of any 'new' activity as reported by the Journal," the company wrote. "We are aware, however, that the Journal has engaged in a year-long campaign to defend a legacy system that rewards volume over keeping patients healthy and addressing their underlying conditions."

In a new statement released Tuesday, UnitedHealth said it welcomes “the opportunity to share the facts with Senator Grassley, especially given the ongoing misinformation campaign” from the Wall Street Journal.

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