On this edition of Your Call's Media Roundtable, we discuss a recent expose by Propublica about how UnitedHealth is strategically limiting access to a treatment for thousands of children with autism across the country.
ProPublica has obtained what is effectively the company’s strategic playbook, developed by Optum, the division that manages mental health benefits for United. In internal reports, the company acknowledges that the therapy, called applied behavior analysis, is the “evidence-based gold standard treatment for those with medically necessary needs.” But the company’s costs have climbed as the number of children diagnosed with autism has ballooned; experts say greater awareness and improved screening have contributed to a fourfold increase in the past two decades — from 1 in 150 to 1 in 36.
Guest:
Annie Waldman, ProPublica health reporter
Resources:
ProPublica: UnitedHealth Is Strategically Limiting Access to Critical Treatment for Kids With Autism
