UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest commercial health insurers, has been ordered to pay $60 million in damages after losing a lawsuit against physician staffing firm TeamHealth.
A jury in the 8th Judicial District Court of Las Vegas ruled UHC underpayed three Nevada-based TeamHealth affiliate providers by millions, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday, Dec. 7. Just last week, the jury awarded Tennessee-based TeamHealth $2 million in compensatory damages but the firm also asked for $100 in punitive damages.
UHC spokesperson Dustin Clark said the insurance giant is planning to appeal.
“Everyone agrees healthcare costs too much, and today’s decision only adds to the problem,” Clark said in an email to the Review-Journal. “We will be appealing this decision immediately in order to protect our customers and members from private equity-backed physician staffing companies who demand unreasonable and anticompetitive rates for their services and drive up the cost of care for everyone.”
Meanwhile, Scott Scherr, regional medical director of TeamHealth, who also led trauma units treating victims after the Las Vegas mass shooting in October 2017, offered his own comments.
“A jury of my peers realized the value of emergency medicine in Nevada,” said Scherr, who also testified during the trial. “I hope this sends a message to United Healthcare about the importance of our frontline workers.”
The two parties are locked in court battles over similar complaints across multiple other states, including a UHC-initiated lawsuit alleging TeamHealth purposely upcoded claims by some $100 million since 2016.
Read the full piece from the Las Vegas Review-Journal below.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.