US health giant UnitedHealth facing fraud probe: WSJ

WASHINGTON: Insurance giant UnitedHealth Group is facing a criminal investigation by the US Justice Department for possible Medicare fraud, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.Authorities are probing the firm´s Medicare Advantage programme, a scheme where private companies manage the delivery of government health benefits for seniors, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

The report is that latest struggle to hit America´s largest health insurer, coming just days after its CEO unexpectedly announced he would be stepping down. It also follows the high-profile killing last December of Brian Thompson, head of the company´s insurance division, in a case that has brought to the surface deep public frustration with the lucrative US commercial health care system.

UnitedHealth said in a statement it had not been notified by the Justice Department of the supposed investigation and criticised the “deeply irresponsible” article.