Feds Killed Plan To Curb Medicare Advantage Overbilling After Industry Opposition

A decade ago, plans to discourage Medicare Advantage health insurers from overcharging the government were scrapped due to industry pushback, according to recently disclosed court filings. The Justice Department alleges that health insurer UnitedHealth cheated Medicare out of over $2bn by reviewing patient records for additional diagnoses, while ignoring overcharges. UnitedHealth denies any wrongdoing. The case revolves around Medicare paying higher rates for sicker patients, requiring health plans to bill only for properly-documented conditions. This information has been revealed in the course of a multibillion-dollar fraud case against UnitedHealth.