UnitedHealthcare sues The Guardian for defamation after explosive nursing home story

UnitedHealthcare is suing British paper The Guardian for defamation, alleging that the outlet falsely accused them of enticing nursing homes to enroll successful a peculiar programme that works to restrict aesculapian expenses for aged patients.

"The Guardian knowingly published mendacious and misleading claims astir our Institutional Special Needs Program, forcing america to instrumentality enactment to support the clinician-patient narration that is important for delivering high-quality care. The Guardian refused to prosecute with the information and chose alternatively to people its predetermined narrative," UnitedHealthcare told Fox News Digital successful a statement.

The Guardian article, published May 21, claimed that UnitedHealthcare is pursuing cost-cutting tactics that jeopardize the wellness of nursing location patients. The nonfiction claims that the health security giant provides what amounts to concealed bonuses to enroll successful a programme that stations aesculapian unit that reports straight to UnitedHealthcare, and successful signifier works to trim hospitalizations for patients, immoderate of whom allegedly whitethorn urgently request the care. 

UnitedHealthcare is suing The Guardian for defamation.  (Reuters)

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The nonfiction besides claims UnitedHealthcare financially entices nursing homes to articulation their "Institutional Special Needs" program, and allegedly illegally had nursing homes stock confidential diligent information with the insurer truthful that it could skirt national instrumentality and marketplace programs to patients – immoderate of whom deficiency the capableness to marque fiscal decisions connected their ain – and families. The Guardian besides alleged that UnitedHealthcare leaned connected nursing location unit to person patients to motion DNR’s, adjacent if they had expressed a tendency for each aesculapian options to beryllium utilized to prevention their life.

"A caller nonfiction published by The Guardian presents a communicative built mostly connected anecdotes alternatively than facts. It is unfortunate that the nonfiction misrepresents a programme that, successful reality, improves wellness outcomes for seniors done on-site objective care, personalized attraction plans, and enhanced coordination among caregivers. We basal firmly down the integrity of our programs, which consistently person precocious restitution ratings from our members," UnitedHealthcare said successful a connection successful effect to the nonfiction successful May.

The suit alleged that The Guardian utilized a "heavily cropped screenshot" of an interior UnitedHealthcare email which they claim, erstwhile seen successful full, contradicts their reporting. The suit besides accuses The Guardian of "gratuitously" linking its study to the assassination of their erstwhile CEO Brian Thompson. 

The Guardian told Fox News Digital they basal by their reporting.  (Reuters)

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"The Guardian knew these accusations were false, but published them anyway," the suit stated. 

The Guardian told Fox News Digital it stood by its reporting.

"The Guardian stands by its deeply-sourced, autarkic reporting, which is based connected thousands of firm and diligent records, publically filed lawsuits, declarations submitted to national and authorities agencies, and interviews with much than 20 existent and erstwhile UnitedHealth employees – arsenic good arsenic statements and accusation provided by UnitedHealth itself implicit respective weeks. It’s outrageous that successful effect to factual reporting connected the signifier of secretly paying nursing homes to trim hospitalizations for susceptible patients, UnitedHealth is resorting to wildly misleading claims and intimidation tactics via the courts," a typical from The Guardian said. 

UnitedHealthcare accused The Guardian of "gratuitously" trying to nexus their study to their erstwhile CEO's shocking murder, the suit stated.  (Curtis Means/Pool)

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When asked by Fox News Digital for clarification regarding the "heavily cropped screenshot," a typical for The Guardian said the representation was successful information a "visual illustration" and the alleged missing accusation was provided "in an on-record remark and a denial from UnitedHealth" successful the proceeding paragraph. The Guardian rep besides claimed that UnitedHealthcare ne'er asked the property outlet to change the image.