Insurers pocketed $82b for conditions no doctor treated

More than 66,000 Medicare Advantage patients were diagnosed with diabetic cataracts even though they had already had cataract surgery, the Journal's investigation found. (Image: Depositphotos)

The Wall Street Journal

Sat, 13 Jul 2024

By Christopher Weaver, Tom McGinty, Anna Wilde Mathews and Mark MaremontGloria Lee was perplexed when the phone calls started coming in from a representative of her Medicare insurer. Could a nurse stop by her Boston home to give her a quick checkup? It was a helpful perk. No cost. In fact, she would get a US$50 (NZ$82) gift card.After several such calls in 2022, Lee agreed. A nurse showed up, checked her over, asked her questions, then diagnosed her with diabetic cataracts. The finding was good news for Lee’s insurer, a unit of Unite...

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