Deny, Delay And Defend (Indeed)!!

A TikTok poster sarcastically offered condolences: “My deepest thoughts and deductibles to the family. Unfortunately my condolences are out-of-network and it isn’t deemed medically necessary.”

Patient support groups commonly use the refrain “deny, delay and defend,” which is meant to summarize cost-driven insurance-company tactics that some customers see as harsh.

In July, about 100 people protested and 11 were arrested for blocking a road outside a building in Minnetonka, Minn., where UnitedHealthcare’s parent UnitedHealth Group is based.

“It’s very clear the companies are trying to increase their bottom line by denying care that is really needed for patients,” said John Crosson, 89, of Plymouth, Minn., a semiretired physician who was among those arrested and is involved with advocacy groups that back a single-payer healthcare system.