Insurance giant UnitedHealth Group said Thursday the Department of Justice is investigating the company for its Medicare billing practices.
The Wall Street Journal reported in May that the DOJ was conducting a criminal investigation into the company over potential Medicare fraud. Multiple doctors were interviewed about whether they felt pressure to submit claims for certain medical conditions to increase payments from the Medicare Advantage program to UnitedHealth, according to a July Wall Street Journal report.
However, the company denied it was under federal investigation. At the time, UnitedHealth said it stood “by the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program.”
In a securities filing, UnitedHealth said it “has full confidence in its practices and is committed to working cooperatively with the Department throughout this process.” The company noted it was complying with formal criminal and civil requests from the DOJ.
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UnitedHealth Group’s Medicare and retirement unit is the insurer’s largest revenue driver. It took in $139 billion in sales last year.
The company has faced a turbulent year. Its CEO was shot and killed in New York City late last year, the CEO after him stepped down unexpectedly, citing personal reasons, and the company pulled its 2025 financial outlook due to higher-than-expected medical costs.