United Healthcare’s Culture and Coverage Denial Crisis, with David Armstrong and Patrick Rucker

On February 2nd, Propublica and The Capitol Forum co-published a blockbuster article: “UnitedHealthcare Tried to Deny Coverage to a Chronically Ill Patient. He Fought Back, Exposing the Insurer’s Inner Workings.”

It is a shocking story about a persistent effort by an insurer to choose profit over patient health, and we discuss the reporting for the story in-depth with two of the authors. We also explore what the reporters learned about UnitedHealth’s culture and the gaps in oversight and enforcement when it comes to the government’s role in policing and regulating insurance companies.