United Healthcare Accused of Denying Claim of Woman in Coma in Deleted Post

A post from Dr. Zachary Levy that said UnitedHealthcare denied the claims of one of his patients, who is in a coma, went viral on X, formerly Twitter. The post has since been removed and Levy appears to have deleted his account.

Newsweek has reached out to UnitedHealthcare via email and Levy via social media for comment.

UnitedHealthcare had previously criticized what it described as highly inaccurate and grossly misleading information about its treatment of insurance claims.

Why It Matters

Many Americans have expressed frustration with the health insurance system, which was brought into focus when UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in New York, allegedly by Luigi Mangione, who has been charged in connection with the homicide and is awaiting trial. Mangione pleaded not guilty to murder and weapons charges.

In the aftermath of Thompson’s killing, the health insurance industry is under intense scrutiny, and many have called for reforms to the system, with some executives vowing to look at changes to the industry.

At the scene of the crime, shell casings were located by the police, with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” carved into them. This indicating the killer likely had a vendetta against UnitedHealthcare or the insurance industry, as the words are associated with the industries legal and administrative strategies in managing claims and disputes. They reflect a pattern where the company might deny claims, defend its decisions in legal or regulatory challenges, and depose claimants or witnesses in related litigation.

What To Know

In the post on X, which was viewed more than 13 million times before it was removed, Levy said that United Healthcare denied the claim of one of his patents in the ICU.

Levy, a New York-based emergency care physician with Northwell Health, said that his patient is suffering from a brain hemorrhage, is in a coma, on a ventilator and has heart failure.

Levy said that the claim was denied “Because I haven’t proven to them that caring for her in the hospital was “medically necessary.”

Commenting on his post, Levy shared an email he drafted to share to UnitedHealthcare. In the letter, he said the patient’s treatment “Was medically necessary to prevent them from dying.”

Levy’s X account appears to have since been deleted.

Many insurers require prior authorization for routine and lifesaving treatments. This is a procedure that doctors and patients have criticized and questioned. UnitedHealthcare was previously involved in a lawsuit in which the company was accused of using an artificial intelligence tool that led to a 90 percent error rate. This caused care to be denied for many as patients were unable to afford lifesaving care.

What People Are Saying

UnitedHealthcare, which has not commented publicly on Levy’s post, said in a press release on its website December 13: “UnitedHealthcare approves and pays about 90 percent of medical claims upon submission. Importantly, of those that require further review, around one-half of one percent are due to medical or clinical reasons. Highly inaccurate and grossly misleading information has been circulated about our company’s treatment of insurance claims.”

Dr. Zachary Levy said in a post on X: “Tear it all down,” in what appears to be a reference to the U.S. healthcare system, of which many professionals have advocated for reform.

What’s Next

As Thompson’s killing has put conversations about health care firmly into the spotlight, it is likely that discourse about the industry will continue over the coming months.

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Update, 1/3/25, 3:25 a.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect the fact that Levy’s account was deleted.