Posted on 01/16/2025 7:51:48 PM PST by anthropocene_x
Three UnitedHealth-owned (UNH.N), opens new tab insurance companies collectively must pay over $165 million for engaging in widespread deceptive conduct that misled thousands of consumers in Massachusetts into unknowingly buying supplemental health insurance, a state court judge has ruled.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell on Monday hailed Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Helene Kazanjian's decision, saying it awarded the state the largest civil penalties it has ever recovered under the state's consumer protection law.
Kazanjian, in an order dated Dec. 31, opens new tab, said the penalties were warranted on the grounds that HealthMarkets, which UnitedHealth acquired in 2019, and two of its subsidiaries marketed major medical and supplemental insurance in bundles from 2012 to 2016 in a way that deceived consumers into buying supplemental policies.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Another reason Luigi is being turned into a folk hero.
So, who got the money? The consumers who got ripped off or the state/lawyers?
Robin of Kingston never shot the Sheriff of Nottingham.
That was my first thought.
Instead of fining them and pocketing the money, they need to be forced to refund the money to the person’s they deceived.
I’m sick of all of this going to politicians and lawyers while the consumer remains screwed over.
Wait, at this amount no appeal?
I had United last year. I had a calamitous accident that required reconstructing a bone in my arm. Have a metal plate and screws in it forever. Great bone surgeon and United paid for it plus ongoing physical therapy. Very low copays if any.
But their dental benefits suck and they wouldn’t pay for a corneal transplant, which I need badly, so my insurance person switched me to Humana.
I think you have to evaluate what you might need every year and find the insurance plan that is right for you.
This article is so poorly written that it’s hard to tell what the so called egregious activity was. Medicare insurance is one of the most convoluted pile of mumbo jumbo out there. If there is blame to be cast, the federal government is 100% to blame.
True dat!!!
I consider myself a rather intelligent individual. My wife is the head of HR and benefits for a large oil services company. I ended up consulting a Medicare specialist for my enrollment. We couldn’t figure it out on our own.
In the end it is fairly easy to understand but the path to that understanding is long, convoluted, and twisted as crap. There are so many traps you can fall into that you will soon regret.
EC
So is Tricare. Have to have permission for nearly everything. And test before you can get to the test you need. I’ve had 2 SIBO attacks. They insist on a Barium X-ray before they will do the Breath test for it. The last one was barely started, ended up repeating it 2 weeks later. Always positive. Not happy with their crap antibiotic either. Xifaxan, a nasty GI med.
I’m almost 68 and went through the Medicare stuff when I hit 65. Being from an engineering background, I could figure most stuff out, but couldn’t believe what you had to go through.
I hear you. People shouldn’t have to go through this stuff.
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