Tuesday, July 31, 2007

United Health Group, Inc.

United Health Group, Inc. and United Healthcare
A class action lawsuit has been filed against the health groups alleging misrepresentation and fraudulent marketing in violation of the Florida Medicare Supplement Act. The Florida statewide civil lawsuit was filed in Pinellas County Civil Court. The suit claims United Health Group, Inc. and United Healthcare of Florida Inc. enrolled Medicare recipients into their Medical Advantage HMO and PPO plans without obtaining signatures or consent to enter into the insurance contract and without informing or advising clients that enrollment into their HMO and PPO Medicare advantage plans disenrolls them from their rightful benefits under the United States Medicare Program.

These enrollees were also not informed that the Medicare Advantage Plans such as Secure Horizons and Complete Care provide limited or no skilled nursing home care, while US Medicare covers 100% of such care for 20 weeks. The companies also failed to inform clients that the United plans have significant co-payments and significantly more limited availability of physicians who will accept their plan than will accept medicare.

The suit also states that United Healthcare's marketing practices fraudulently implie by names such as CompleteCare and SecureHorizons that the United insurance policies provide equal or complete care when in fact they provide far less care that the Medicare coverage that they replace.

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