AI6YR BenMay 22

The Guardian: Revealed: UnitedHealth secretly paid nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers

"...The company also monitored nursing homes that had smaller numbers of patients with “do not resuscitate” – or DNR – and “do not intubate” orders in their files. Without such orders, patients are in line for certain life-saving treatments that might lead to costly hospital stays.

Two current and three former UnitedHealth nurse practitioners told the Guardian that UnitedHealth managers pressed nurse practitioners to persuade Medicare Advantage members to change their “code status” to DNR even when patients had clearly expressed a desire that all available treatments be used to keep them alive...."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/21/unitedhealth-nursing-homes-payments-hospital-transfers

#insurance #greed

Revealed: UnitedHealth secretly paid nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers

A Guardian investigation finds insurer quietly paid facilities that helped it gain Medicare enrollees and reduce hospitalizations. Whistleblowers allege harm to residents

The Guardian
Show threadpagangod (he/him)May 22

@ai6yr First and foremost, that is incredibly shitty and unethical. Burn private health insurance to the ground with holy fire.

That being said: I've been through the decade of eldercare, and I can say that DNR/POLST is actually a good idea. I believe I read that the majority of medical practitioners and emergency medical staff have DNRs, because it actually rarely turns out well. An electrical shock stops your 36-year-old heart and they just need to restart it? Sure. Your heart stopped because you threw a clot because you have coronary artery disease, heart failure, and pulmonary edema issues and you'll need 2 weeks in the ICU, which can mess you up medically all by itself, in the best possible outcome? Sure they *could* keep you alive until you skin begins to bloat because of poor circulation . . ..

Please get a realistic take on end-of-life care from a trusted medical professional while you can still make decisions for yourself. Families often hang on when they should really let go.

Show threadAI6YR Ben
@pagangod Yeah, I have a first responder in the family, and there are definitely times they advise a family that CPR and extensive measures are just prolonging suffering. (like you said, someone with multiple existing issues, cancer, etc. and CPR is just a brutal way to extend life for a day or two).
May 22 at 3:04pmWeb