AMA settlement with United Healthcare

December 10th, 2009. By AbiK

If you remember my rant on out of network fees and the post on how those fees—ie, the reasonable and customary ones—are determined, compliments of a company called Ingenix, which is a unit of United Healthcare, well, here’s a little update.

Back when we were all either contemplating the end of the world as we knew it or laughing at those who were as we rang in the new millennium, another group of individuals was a little miffed with Ingenix and UnitedHealth: the AMA, the Medical Society of the State of New York, and the Missouri State Medical Association. And so, in 2000, they filed a lawsuit charging that United Healthcare Group colluded with others to underpay physicians for out-of-network medical services.

Well, here we are some nine years later and the US District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted preliminary approval of the $350 million settlement that if completely green-lighted will resolve the suit.

The final hearing date is still tbd—but it’ll be with the Hon. D. J. McKenna, US District Judge.

And you thought only patients were getting screwed by those health insurance company out-of-network fees…

Tags: Ingenix, out of network, United Health, United Health Care

This was posted on Thursday, December 10th, 2009 at 2:51 pm and is filed under Drugs/Medical . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.