Shareholders are urging UnitedHealth to analyze the impact of denying health care

Written by Amina Niasse and Ross Kerber

NEW YORK / BOSTON (Reuters) – Shareholders of UnitedHealth Group said on Wednesday they have asked the company to prepare a report on the costs and public health impacts related to “its practices that limit or delay access to health care.”

If the proposal makes it to a vote at the company's annual meeting, it will raise a controversial topic after the shooting of its chief executive in Manhattan last month.

A UnitedHealth spokeswoman said the company will respond to shareholder proposals for its 2025 proxy statement once it files the document that serves as the agenda for its annual meeting, which has yet to be scheduled. In recent years, the company has released its proxy in April before the annual meeting in June.

Those filing the resolution include religious groups led by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary of Quebec, and Trillium Asset Management.

The group proposed an analysis that pre-authorization, or the authorization required by the insurance before the patient receives medical care, and the denial of medical services leads to patients abandoning treatment.

“The pattern of delays and denials of needed health care by UnitedHealth and other insurance companies hurts more than the patient themselves,” said Wendell Potter, president of the Center for Health & Democracy and a former Cigna executive, in a statement released in support. of the decision of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.

UnitedHealth owns the nation's largest health insurer, UnitedHealthcare, and pharmacy benefits manager Optum and medical practices.

The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December has fueled criticism of America's health insurance companies, with scores of patients describing delayed or denied care and accusing the companies of deceptive practices.

Luigi Mangione, 26, who was accused of killing Thompson, pleaded not guilty in a New York court in December after receiving thousands of dollars in public donations shortly after his arrest.

In a December statement, UnitedHealth said it approves and pays an average of 90% of medical claims submitted.

“Inaccurate and grossly misleading information has been distributed about how our company handles insurance claims,” ​​UnitedHealth said.

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty in a message to employees described Thompson as “one of the good guys,” adding that the company will continue to serve the most vulnerable Americans.

(Reporting by Amina Niasse in New York and Ross Kerber in Boston; Editing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)