Fort Worth, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened a formal state investigation into healthcare insurer UnitedHealth Group, probing whether the company engaged in fraudulent or misleading methods to restrict policyholders from receiving essential medical services, state officials announced Monday.
State authorities served Civil Investigative Demands upon the Minnesota-based insurance giant to determine whether its claim-handling conduct violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act or other state commercial statutes. According to the Attorney General's Office, investigators are examining claims that the insurer pressured nursing facilities through financial incentives to postpone hospital transfers for acutely ill residents, while improperly substituting corporate coverage guidelines for the professional recommendations of attending physicians.
The inquiry also highlights instances where the carrier allegedly reversed treatment approvals retroactively. In one documented case cited by state regulators, a Texas patient secured prior authorization for an outpatient operation at Austin's RedBud Surgery Center, only for the company to rescind that approval following the surgical procedure and burden the consumer with substantial unexpected medical debt. State officials contended that such practices effectively amount to an unlawful corporate practice of medicine that imperils patient wellbeing through prolonged administrative delays.
> "I will not tolerate any insurance company putting illegal corporate greed over the people of Texas," said Attorney General Ken Paxton in announcing the enforcement action. "No Texan should be denied medically necessary care, dragged through endless appeals, or stuck with devastating bills after trusting their insurer’s word."
Across Fort Worth, the county seat of Tarrant County and home to more than 950,000 residents, the city's extensive medical district provides specialized healthcare across North Texas.
