UnitedHealth Group announced on January 14 the start of its Rural Payment Acceleration Pilot. This initiative is designed to support independent rural hospitals that are experiencing financial difficulties.
The pilot program aims to cut Medicare Advantage payment times by 50% over the next six months. It seeks to reduce the average timeline from under 30 days to under 15 days. The effort is intended to provide immediate cash-flow assistance and help sustain these important rural facilities. UnitedHealth selected the participating hospitals using criteria focused on achieving maximum impact and informing future solutions for rural areas.
Separately, Reuters reported on January 12 about a U.S. Senate committee report released that same day. The report alleges UnitedHealth Group employed "aggressive" risk-adjustment coding methods. These tactics, according to the report, were used to increase U.S. government reimbursements for patients in its Medicare Advantage plans.
The report came from Senator Chuck Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. It stated that UnitedHealth submitted more diagnosis codes and diagnoses than any other Medicare Advantage organization. This practice led to higher government payments tied to the perceived poorer health of its patients compared to industry peers. The report added: "After a review of the records, this report provides evidence that shows UnitedHealth Group has turned risk adjustment into a major profit-centered strategy, which was not the original intent of the program."
Reuters noted the Senate report was based on over 50,000 pages of company documents. These included internal training materials, policies, and software records. A spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group responded to the report's claims in an emailed statement. The spokesperson said, "Our programs comply with applicable (government regulatory) requirements and have, through government audits, demonstrated sustained adherence to regulatory standards."