'The Fact That One-Third Is Denied Is Not True?': Dingell Grills UnitedHealth CEO Over Denied Claims

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you and ranking member Dette for holding this important and very timely hearing. It's coming at a pivotal moment. Millions of Americans across the nation have seen their health care premium skyrocket because of both expiration of the affordable care tax credits last month, the only thing that made a lot of people able to afford it, but also because of the passage. I'll behave today and just call it the big brutal bill. Insurance sent out renewal notices a couple months ago notifying consumers that their premiums were going to skyrocket in 2026. Yet all of you are posting record profits, approving millions of dollars worth of CEO compensation packages, executive bonuses, and paying your shareholders. Let me tell you something. People are really struggling. I hear the stories every single day. The moms are the worst. They're not able to get their kids their medicine. Even parents with asthma, their children have asthma can't afford the inhalers. Make no mistake that we're seeing a ripple effect. My colleague next to me just talked about some of them that are going on. The American people deserve better. I want to start with Miss Allen. I want to thank you for being here today and for your willingness to be one of the faces that is sharing your personal story. It's important for everybody in this country, but especially the executives at this table to understand directly from real people living with the consequences of both what happens here in Congress and what happens in the insurance companies. Like nearly 200 million Americans, Miss Allen is living with a chronic health condition that makes consistent and affordable coverage important. Miss Allen, I know you had no choice but to buy the bronze plan on the affordable care marketplace. You wanted to buy the silver, but you just couldn't afford it. Can you explain what that means in real terms?

Thank you for the question so very much. Yes, I was hoping to purchase a silver plan just to reduce my total out-of-pocket cost. I mean, 40% co-insurance, the out-of-pocket cost, I knew I would face $10,000 potentially and actually likely. So that's money that I actually took out of a savings account to pay my health care costs. And you know, I'm closer to retirement, right, than not. So that is not helping me secure my economic viability in my retirement years.

May I ask you one more question and then move to the others? But your affordable care plan that you have, it's worked, right? How many claims have been denied?

You know, I've had essentially no claims denied with my plan. I've been very happy with my plan, particularly with the tax credits until this year. I think I've had one specialty eye drop medication denied which eventually I was able to secure.

Now, I'd like to turn to Mr. Hemsley, who is the CEO of the country's largest insurer. A CPS news analysis of about 1.3 billion federal health insurance claims across three years shows that in 2024, insurers denied 19% of in-network claims, about one in five. United Healthcare in particular denied as many as one-third of its federal claims in the preceding two years. All while raking in record profits of $400 billion. Patients who are battling terminal illnesses are spending the last days and months of their lives with loved ones on the phones battling with their insurance company and essential treatments are being denied. Mr. Hemsley, should sick patients who don't want to leave their families with bills have to spend hours on end fighting to get their treatments approved?

So how are you simplifying it because I don't have a lot of time and I...

So, are you telling me the fact that one-third is denied is not true?

I have more questions for the record. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I'll yield back.

Gentle lady yields back. Now recognize...