By Christie Smythe
Bloomberg News
Originally published March 11, 2013
UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) was sued by the New York State Psychiatric Association and mental-health patients over claims the insurer violated laws barring unequal coverage for psychiatric conditions.
UnitedHealth, the second-largest U.S. health insurer, has maintained “unjustifiably stringent medical-necessity criteria and pre-authorization requirements for mental-health services,” the plaintiffs said in a complaint filed today in federal court in Manhattan.
The company denied or limited access to psychotherapy and other mental-health treatments for patients suffering from conditions including psychosis, chronic depression, and anxiety disorders, according to the 102-page complaint, which seeks to represent all customers of the company facing similar situations.
The entire article is here.
