UnitedHealth complying with formal criminal and civil requests from DOJ

In a regulatory filing, UnitedHealth (UNH) Group disclosed that the company proactively reached out to the Department of Justice after reviewing media reports about investigations into certain aspects of the company’s participation in the Medicare program. “The company has now begun complying with formal criminal and civil requests from the Department. The company has full confidence in its practices and is committed to working cooperatively with the Department throughout this process. The company has a long record of responsible conduct and effective compliance. Independent CMS audits confirm that the company’s practices are among the most accurate in the industry, and, following a decade-long civil challenge by the Department to aspects of our Medicare Advantage business, a court-appointed Special Master concluded there was no evidence to support claims of wrongdoing. To provide our stakeholders transparency and confidence in the company’s practices, the company, as previously announced, has proactively launched its own initiative to conduct third party reviews of policies, practices, and associated processes and performance metrics for risk assessment coding, managed care practices, and pharmacy services. The company is committed to maintaining the integrity of its business practices and serving as reliable stewards of American tax dollars,” UnitedHealth stated.