Eleven protesters were arrested Monday outside the UnitedHealthcare headquarters in Minnesota.
They were holding a protest along with around 140 others outside the building in Minnetonka over the company’s allegedly refusing to approve care, according to the protest's organizer, People’s Action Institute.
The 11 protesters were cited with misdemeanors after blocking a road, according to Minnetonka police, and released from the scene.
The demonstration was part of the People’s Action Institute's Care Over Cost campaign, which aims to highlight what they say is the health insurance company's "systemic practice of refusing to approve care through prior authorization denials or pay for care through claim denials."
The People’s Action Institute also protested at UnitedHealth Group's Optum headquarters in Eden Prairie in April.
“Health insurance coverage has expanded in America, but we are finding it is private health insurance corporations themselves that are often the largest barrier for people to receive the care they and their doctor agree they need," Aija Nemer-Aanerud, campaign director with the People’s Action Institute, said in a statement to NTD.
UnitedHealth Group, which provides health insurance for more than 47 million people across the country, stated that it has addressed the protesters' issues and will continue to work with them.
"The safety and security of our employees is a top priority,” UnitedHealth said in a statement to local media outlets. “We have resolved the member-specific concerns raised by this group and remain open to a constructive dialogue about ensuring access to high-quality, affordable care.”
A request for comment from NTD was not returned by the time of publication.
In March, UnitedHealth Group suffered a major cyberattack on its Change Healthcare unit. The attack could cost the company as much as $1.6 billion this year. It already spent about $872 million during the first quarter responding to the cyberattack, according to its financial report released in April.
“Together, we are working to help enable our health system’s transition to value-based care and are empowering physicians and their care teams to deliver more personalized, high-quality care that delivers better outcomes at a lower cost,” the chief executive stated.
But the People’s Action Institute claims that the company blocks doctors from providing the care patients need while making billions in profit.