UnitedHealth's headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Credit: wolterke/Adobe Stock;
Public sentiment about UnitedHealth Group in the past year has ranged from anger over a massive cybersecurity breach to numerous legal actions over its business practices to sympathy following the murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson. Now, critics are accusing the insurance giant of using Thompson’s death to prevent criticism of the company, The New York Times reported.
In recent months, the story said, UnitedHealth has targeted traditional journalists and news outlets, a prominent investor, a Texas doctor and activists who complained about a UnitedHealth subsidiary. In legal letters and court filings, UnitedHealth has cited Thompson’s murder to argue that criticizing the company could lead to further violence.
One example cited in the story is Mary Strause, a Wisconsin filmmaker, who produced a docuseries critical of the U.S. health care industry. She later discovered that Amazon’s video-streaming service had removed the video after UnitedHealth’s law firm sent a letter warning Amazon and Vimeo that the video was defamatory. “They’re intimidated by what we’re saying,” Strause said.
The Clare Lock law firm, which represented UnitedHealth, referenced Thompson’s murder in a letter to Amazon. It said the docuseries “spreads a vociferous and false screed in a thinly veiled call to violence for anyone who is dissatisfied with the American health care system. Recent history and Brian Thompson’s murder demonstrate the devastating and irreversible consequences of ginning up such hatred with false claims designed to inspire violence.”
In another instance, UnitedHealth sued The Guardian for defamation after it published an investigative story saying the company had sought to save money by discouraging nursing homes from sending sick residents to the hospital. The lawsuit accused The Guardian of deliberately publishing false accusations and “brazenly trying to capitalize on the tragic and shocking assassination” of Thompson. The lawsuit was filed the day before The Guardian was scheduled to publish a second investigation into UnitedHealth.
UnitedHealth in recent years has been the subject of multiple media investigations of its billing practices and patient denials, as well as a variety of federal criminal and civil investigations, including potential Medicare fraud and antitrust violations. “Negative publicity may adversely affect our stock price, damage our reputation and expose us to unexpected or unwarranted regulatory scrutiny,” the company’s most recent annual report said. UnitedHealth’s shares have declined 40 percent over the past year.
Spokesperson Eric Hausman defended UnitedHealth’s actions.
“The truth matters, and there’s a big difference between ‘criticism’ and irresponsibly omitting facts and context,” he told the Times. “When others get it wrong, we have an obligation to our customers, employees and other stakeholders to correct the record, including by making our case in court when necessary.”
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