Patrick Rucker
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Reporter covering finance for @capitol_forum. @ProPublica contributor. Something I should see? PO Box 33002. Raleigh, NC 27636. patrickmrucker@protonmail.com.
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Articles by Patrick Rucker
Trump's DOJ drops 1,000+ terrorism cases while promising to 'make America safe'
In the first days after Pam Bondi was appointed attorney general last year, the Department of Justice began shutting down pending criminal cases at a record pace. The cases included an investigation into a Virginia nursing home with a recent record of patient abuse; probes of fraud involving several New Jersey labor unions, including one opened after a top official of a national union was accused of embezzlement; and an investigation into a cryptocurrency company suspected of cheating investors.
UnitedHealth Has 2,694 Subsidiaries and Affiliates. Is It Too Big to Manage?
The following is a co-publication with The Capitol Forum, a premier subscription-based investigative reporting outlet covering complex M&A issues, consumer protection situations, and government contracts. UnitedHealth Group executives have long argued that buying rival health care companies was the key to earning long-term profits, and investors who endorsed that strategy were rewarded for years.
UnitedHealth Has 2,694 Subsidiaries and Affiliates. Is It Too Big to Manage?
The following is a co-publication with The Capitol Forum, a premier subscription-based investigative reporting outlet covering complex M&A issues, consumer protection situations, and government contracts. UnitedHealth Group executives have long argued that buying rival health care companies was the key to earning long-term profits, and investors who endorsed that strategy were rewarded for years.
‘Not Medically Necessary’: Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Care
By T. Christian Miller, Patrick Rucker and David Armstrong / ProPublica and The Capitol Forum This article was originally published on October 23, 2024. Every day, patients across America crack open envelopes with bad news. Yet another health insurer has decided not to pay for a treatment that their doctor has recommended. Sometimes it’s a no for an MRI for a high school wrestler with a strained back. Sometimes for a cancer procedure that will help a grandmother with a throat tumor.
UnitedHealthcare Tried to Deny Coverage to a Chronically Ill Patient. He Fought Back, Exposing the Insurer’s Inner Workings
By David Armstrong, Patrick Rucker and Maya Miller / ProPublica & The Capitol Forum This article was originally published on February 2, 2023. In May 2021, a nurse at UnitedHealthcare called a colleague to share some welcome news about a problem the two had been grappling with for weeks. United provided the health insurance plan for students at Penn State University.
‘Not medically necessary’: Inside the company helping America’s biggest health insurers deny coverage for care
This story was originally published by ProPublica. It co-published with The Capitol Forum. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive its biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Every day, patients across America crack open envelopes with bad news. Yet another health insurer has decided not to pay for a treatment that their doctor has recommended. Sometimes it’s a no for an MRI for a high school wrestler with a strained back.
“Not Medically Necessary”: Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Care
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Series: Uncovered – How the Insurance Industry Denies Coverage to Patients Dialing for Dollars: America’s largest insurers hire EviCore to make decisions on whether to pay for care for more than 100 million people.
“Not Medically Necessary”: Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Care
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Every day, patients across America crack open envelopes with bad news. Yet another health insurer has decided not to pay for a treatment that their doctor has recommended. Sometimes it’s a no for an MRI for a high school wrestler with a strained back. Sometimes for a cancer procedure that will help a grandmother with a throat tumor.
A pesar de las constantes advertencias, Texas se apresuró a despojar a millones de personas de Medicaid
Este reportaje se publica conjuntamente con The Texas Tribune, un medio periodístico sin fines de lucro ni afiliación política que informa y conecta con los texanos. Suscríbase al The Brief Weekly para ponerse al día con la cobertura esencial de los temas de Texas.
Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Treatments
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. America’s largest insurers hire EviCore to make decisions on whether to pay for care for more than 100 million people. EviCore uses an algorithm that allows it to adjust the chances that company doctors will screen prior authorization requests, increasing the possibility of denials.
Election Skeptics Are Running Some County Election Boards in Georgia. A New Rule Could Allow Them to Exclude Decisive Votes.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. An examination of a new election rule in Georgia passed by the state’s Republican-controlled election board suggests that local officials in just a handful of rural counties could exclude enough votes to affect the outcome of the presidential race.
How We Report on Maternal Health — and How to Get in Touch With Our Team
More than a dozen ProPublica journalists are working across the country to cover reproductive health in the wake of abortion bans. We hope to hear from medical providers, families and policymakers. We asked Deputy Managing Editor Alexandra Zayas to explain our reporting process and the ethics that guide it. It’s clear by now that state abortion bans are having a seismic impact on health care. They are, as intended, preventing doctors from terminating pregnancies.
When Is “Recyclable” Not Really Recyclable? When the Plastics Industry Gets to Define What the Word Means.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Is there anything more pathetic than a used plastic bag? They rip and tear. They float away in the slightest breeze. Left in the wild, their mangled remains entangle birds and choke sea turtles that mistake them for edible jellyfish. It takes 1,000 years for the bags to disintegrate, shedding hormone-disrupting chemicals as they do.
A Doctor at Cigna Said Her Bosses Pressured Her to Review Patients’ Cases Too Quickly. Cigna Threatened to Fire Her.
This story was originally published by ProPublica. In late 2020, Dr Debby Day said her bosses at Cigna gave her a stark warning. Work faster, or the company might fire her. That was a problem for Day because she felt her work was too important to be rushed. She was a medical director for the health insurer, a physician with sweeping power to approve or reject requests to pay for critical care like life-saving drugs or complex surgeries.
EPA Proposes Ban on Pesticide Widely Used on Fruits and Vegetables Original
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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a proposal this week to ban a controversial pesticide that is widely used on celery, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.
By Sharon Lerner Verified, Patrick Rucker Verified, David Armstrong Verified, Debbie Cenziper Verified
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ProPublica
Verified
FDA Finally Moves to Scrutinize Specialized Health Screenings
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. The Food and Drug Administration issued a rule on Monday that brings new scrutiny to a vast array of critical lab tests, including some popular prenatal genetic screenings, that reach patients without any federal agency checking to ensure they work the way their makers claim.
Philips Agrees to Pay $1 Billion to Patients Who Say They Were Injured by Breathing Machines
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Philips Respironics received thousands of complaints about a dangerous defect in its breathing machines but kept them secret for years as stock prices soared. The devices, including the popular DreamStation for sleep apnea, went to children, the elderly and veterans before the global giant announced a massive recall. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
By Debbie Cenziper Verified, Michael Sallah Verified, Julian Andreone Verified, Patrick Rucker Verified
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ProPublica
Verified
A Doctor at Cigna Said Her Bosses Pressured Her to Review Patients’ Cases Too Quickly. Cigna Threatened to Fire Her.
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Series: Uncovered – How the Insurance Industry Denies Coverage to Patients Health insurers reject millions of claims for treatment every year in America. Corporate insiders, recordings and internal emails expose the system and its harm. In late 2020, Dr. Debby Day said her bosses at Cigna gave her a stark warning.
A Doctor at Cigna Said Her Bosses Pressured Her to Review Patients’ Cases Too Quickly. Cigna Threatened to Fire Her.
Health insurers reject millions of claims for treatment every year in America. Corporate insiders, recordings and internal emails expose the system and its harm. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. In late 2020, Dr. Debby Day said her bosses at Cigna gave her a stark warning. Work faster, or the company might fire her.
A Doctor at Cigna Said Her Bosses Pressured Her to Review Patients’ Cases Too Quickly. Cigna Threatened to Fire Her.
1:27 4 days ago Nurse has malnutrition after dentist removes nearly all her teeth SWNS • 4d A nurse left unable to eat after a dentist extracted nearly all her teeth says she's had to retire early due to suspected malnutrition. Annette Aldridge, 55, went to the dentist with a loose tooth and was shocked when she was told her all her teeth would be needed to be taken out due to infection.
New Legislation Would Expand Access to Disaster Relief, Provide Help With Titles for Large Number of Black Landowners
Black landowners are disproportionately vulnerable to laws and discriminatory practices that allow speculators and developers to acquire their property. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Federal lawmakers introduced a legislative package on Tuesday that would expand heirs’ property owners’ access to disaster relief and provide assistance in clearing titles.
An Atlanta Movie Exec Praised for His Diversity Efforts Sent Racist, Antisemitic Texts
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Update, April 22, 2024: This story has been updated with a statement sent by Ryan Millsap days after the original article was published.
An Expert Who Has Testified in Foster Care Cases Across Colorado Admits Her Evaluations Are Unscientific
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Diane Baird had spent four decades evaluating the relationships of poor families with their children. But last May, in a downtown Denver conference room, with lawyers surrounding her and a court reporter transcribing, she was the one under the microscope.
Did Drug Traffickers Funnel Millions of Dollars to Mexican President López Obrador’s First Campaign?
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Years before Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected as Mexico’s leader in 2018, U.S. drug-enforcement agents uncovered what they believed was substantial evidence that major cocaine traffickers had funneled some $2 million to his first presidential campaign.
Doctors with histories of big malpractice settlements found a new home in the insurance industry
During the weeks that Murphy prayed for his wife to recover and the months that he fought Kasemsap in circuit court in Brevard County, Florida, he didn’t know that other families had complained that their loved ones had suffered under the same doctor’s care. Kasemsap has settled five malpractice cases for a total of $3 million, according to the Florida malpractice payment database. That includes $1 million paid to the Murphy family.
Insurers Are Hiring Doctors With History of Malpractice to Decide on Coverage
This story was originally published by ProPublica and The Capitol Forum. When Shawn Murphy’s wife died in 2009 after a botched gallbladder surgery, he presumed the doctor who performed the operation would be forced out of medicine for good. Dr. Pachavit Kasemsap, a former Air Force surgeon, had cut Loretta Murphy’s aorta during that common procedure, according to a database of malpractice payments kept by Florida insurance regulators.
Doctors With Histories of Big Malpractice Settlements Have Found a New Home in the Insurance Industry
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. When Shawn Murphy’s wife died in 2009 after a botched gallbladder surgery, he presumed the doctor who performed the operation would be forced out of medicine for good.
Doctors With Histories of Big Malpractice Settlements Now Work for Insurers, Deciding If They’ll Pay for Care
Health insurers reject millions of claims for treatment every year in America. Corporate insiders, recordings and internal emails expose the system and its harm. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. When Shawn Murphy’s wife died in 2009 after a botched gallbladder surgery, he presumed the doctor who performed the operation would be forced out of medicine for good.
Doctors With Histories of Big Malpractice Settlements Have Found a New Home in the Insurance Industry
Doctors working for health insurers can rule on 10,000 or more requests for care a year. At least a dozen were hired by major insurance companies after being disciplined by state medical boards or making multiple or outsized malpractice payments. Medical directors can, without ever seeing a patient, overrule the judgment of the doctor who did and deny payment for a recommended procedure, test or medicine.
New Uvalde School Shooting Documentary and Investigation Reveal Details of Law Enforcement’s Flawed Response
As America emerged from the pandemic, communities continued to experience a rising tide of gun violence. School shootings and the rate of children and teens killed by gunfire both reached all-time highs since at least 1999. ProPublica’s coverage of gun violence reveals how first responders, policymakers and those directly affected are coping with the bloodshed. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
How Cigna saves millions by having its doctors reject claims without reading them
When a stubborn pain in Nick van Terheyden’s bones would not subside, his doctor had a hunch what was wrong. Without enough vitamin D in the blood, the body will pull calcium from the bones. Left untreated, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis. A blood test in the fall of 2021 confirmed the doctor’s diagnosis, and van Terheyden expected his company’s insurance plan, managed by Cigna, to cover the cost of the bloodwork.
They Were Promised Help With Mortgage Payments. Then They Got a Foreclosure Notice.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. When Noelle Geraci lost her job at a private investment firm this year, she did everything she could to protect her most important asset: the house she owns with her mother in a Las Vegas suburb. That same day she started applying for work and signed up for unemployment benefits.
EPA Approved a Fuel Ingredient Even Though It Could Cause Cancer in Virtually Every Person Exposed Over a Lifetime
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. The Environmental Protection Agency approved a component of boat fuel made from discarded plastic that the agency’s own risk formula determined was so hazardous, everyone exposed to the substance continually over a lifetime would be expected to develop cancer. Current and former EPA scientists said that threat level is unheard of.
Congressional Committee, Regulators Question Cigna System that Lets Its Doctors Deny Claims without Reading Patient Files
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. A key congressional committee asked insurance giant Cigna on Tuesday to provide corporate documents so that lawmakers can examine the company’s practice of denying health care claims without ever opening a patient file.
Congressional Committee, Regulators Question Cigna System That Lets Its Doctors Deny Claims Without Reading Patient Files
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. A key congressional committee asked insurance giant Cigna on Tuesday to provide corporate documents so that lawmakers can examine the company’s practice of denying health care claims without ever opening a patient file.
Health insurance claim denied? See what insurers said behind the scenes
By Maya Miller, with additional reporting by Patrick Rucker and David Armstrong This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Series: Uncovered How the Insurance Industry Denies Coverage to Patients When a health insurance company is deciding whether to pay for your medical treatment, the company generates a file around your claim.
Your Health Insurance Claim Is Denied? See What Insurers Said Behind the Scenes.
By MAYA MILLER, PATRICK RUCKER, and DAVID ARMSTRONG (ProPublica) When a health insurance company is deciding whether to pay for your medical treatment, the company generates a file around your claim. All the records associated with your case should be part of your file. This includes documents explaining the reasons your claim was denied. You have a right to see this file.
Your Health Insurance Claim Is Denied? See What Insurers Said Behind the Scenes
By MAYA MILLER, PATRICK RUCKER, and DAVID ARMSTRONG (ProPublica) When a health insurance company is deciding whether to pay for your medical treatment, the company generates a file around your claim. All the records associated with your case should be part of your file. This includes documents explaining the reasons your claim was denied. You have a right to see this file.
Health Insurance Claim Denied?
Above image: Daniel Fishel. See What Insurers Said Behind the Scenes. Learn how to request your health insurance claim file, which can include details about what your insurer is saying about you and your case. When a health insurance company is deciding whether to pay for your medical treatment, the company generates a file around your claim. All the records associated with your case should be part of your file. This includes documents explaining the reasons your claim was denied.
Health insurance claim denied? See what insurers said behind the scenes.
Skip to content ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. When a health insurance company is deciding whether to pay for your medical treatment, the company generates a file around your claim. All the records associated with your case should be part of your file. This includes documents explaining the reasons your claim was denied. You have a right to see this file.
Health Insurance Claim Denied? See What Insurers Said Behind the Scenes
By MAYA MILLER, PATRICK RUCKER, and DAVID ARMSTRONG (ProPublica) When a health insurance company is deciding whether to pay for your medical treatment, the company generates a file around your claim. All the records associated with your case should be part of your file. This includes documents explaining the reasons your claim was denied. You have a right to see this file.
Health insurance claim denied? See what insurers said behind the scenes
Independent health news for Oregon and SW Washington Independent health news for Oregon and SW Washington Federal regulations require most health insurance plans to give people an opportunity to review documents related to their claim for free by |Propublica May 11, 2023 ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Health Insurance Claim Denied? See What Insurers Said Behind the Scenes
Health insurers reject millions of claims for treatment every year in America. Corporate insiders, recordings and internal emails expose the system and its harm. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. Want to request your claim file? Visit our free Claim File Helper tool. Want a pamphlet version of this guide? We’ve made a kit for health care providers, support groups and others to share.
Health Insurance Claim Denied? See What Insurers Said Behind the Scenes
Always Ask These Three Questions Before Paying a Medical Bill Our healthcare system may be broken, but you don't have to go down without a fight. Unless you’re remarkably lucky, if you live long enough in the …
How Cigna Saves Millions by Having Its Doctors Reject Claims Without Reading Them
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Series: Uncovered – How the Insurance Industry Denies Coverage to Patients When a stubborn pain in Nick van Terheyden’s bones would not subside, his doctor had a hunch what was wrong. Without enough vitamin D in the blood, the body will pull that vital nutrient from the bones. Left untreated, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis.
How Cigna Saves Millions by Having Its Doctors Reject Claims Without Reading Them
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Series: Uncovered How the Insurance Industry Denies Coverage to Patients When a stubborn pain in Nick van Terheyden’s bones would not subside, his doctor had a hunch what was wrong. Without enough vitamin D in the blood, the body will pull that vital nutrient from the bones. Left untreated, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis.
How Cigna saves millions by having its doctors reject claims without reading them
“We literally click and submit,” one former company doctor said By Patrick Rucker - Maya Miller - David Armstrong Doctor in a hospital (Getty Images/KTM_2016) This article originally appeared on ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom.
Uncovered
Uncovered After ProPublica reported on a Michigan insurer that wouldn’t cover a cancer patient’s last-chance treatment, a state lawmaker introduced a measure compelling health plans to cover a new generation of advanced cancer therapies. Uncovered After ProPublica reported on a health insurer that refused to cover the only medicine that could save a cancer patient’s life, Michigan insurance regulators clarified that, by law, many plans must pay for any clinically proven treatments.
GoLocalProv | Business | Company “Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Care” Has Blue Cross Ties
But the insurance companies don’t always make these decisions. Instead, they often outsource medical reviews to a largely hidden industry that makes money by turning down doctors’ requests for payments, known as prior authorizations. Call it the denials for dollars business.
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