UnitedHealth Found To Have Overcharged Cancer Patients For Medications By 1,000%

UnitedHealth Found To Have Overcharged Cancer Patients For Medications By 1,000%

UnitedHealth is facing serious allegations of overcharging cancer patients by a staggering 1000%.

A recent report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revealed that UnitedHealth’s pharmacy benefit manager, OptumRx, has been marking up critical life-saving drugs by as much as 1000%, making treatments unaffordable for many.

The FTC’s investigation points to a widespread issue in the U.S. healthcare system, where OptumRx, along with its peers CVS Caremark and Cigna’s Express Scripts, raked in billions in added revenue by inflating drug prices. The report claims that specialty medications, like Imatinib for leukemia, were marked up by as much as 1000%, with some drugs increasing from $10 to $110.

UnitedHealth’s OptumRx told media outlets that it is still reviewing the report but claims it helped patients save $1.3 billion and reduced out-of-pocket payments to as low as $5 for some individuals.

This report comes amid growing calls for healthcare reform following the December 4, 2024, sh**ting of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.