Today, UnitedHealth Group released its second-quarter financial report announcing $7.9 billion in profits. The report comes the day after a 150 person protest at its UnitedHealthcare headquarters in Minnetonka, MN where 11 people from People’s Action Institute’s Care Over Cost campaign were arrested protesting the company’s systemic practice of refusing to authorize and pay for care.
Aija Nemer-Aanerud, Health Care for All Campaign Director at People’s Action Institute, released the following statement:
“UnitedHealth Group’s $7.9 billion quarterly profit announcement is the result of a business model built on pocketing premiums and billions of dollars in public funds, then profiting by refusing to authorize or pay for care. People should not have to turn to public petitions or direct actions to get UnitedHealthcare to pay for the care they need to live. That makes no sense, unless you’re a shareholder or executive eyeing your next big luxury purchase.”
Throughout the year, the Care Over Cost campaign has helped people across the country overturn care denials made by UnitedHealthcare and other corporations. In June, a delegation of people denied care, medical professionals, and community and labor leaders met with the chief medical officers of UnitedHealth Group and UnitedHealthcare to share concerns and demand changes. The list of public demands is available here. Photos from the demonstration are available here.
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People’s Action Institute is a national network of member-led, power-building organizations with more than a million members and tens of thousands of national volunteers. We are from every background, speak many languages, and live in small towns, cities and rural areas. We are all of us! Learn more about our work at peoplesactioninstitute.org.
Care Over Cost is a national grassroots campaign founded by People’s Action Institute and supported by 25 state and national organizations working to address the problem of health insurers stopping people from getting the treatment they need or refusing to pay for treatments people have already received. www.careovercost.org