Cerner Loses $600,000 Suit Over Toddler’s Air Ambulance Flight

United Air Ambulance LLC won a lawsuit seeking $600,000 from Cerner Corp. to cover a 2017 flight in which it transported a sick toddler from Phoenix to Boston for treatment, according to a ruling by a federal judge in Arizona.

Cerner Corp., which sponsored the health plan covering the toddler, abused its discretion in refusing to cover the flight after initially preauthorizing it for coverage, Judge Susan M. Brnovich ruled Dec. 4. Brnovich pointed out that Cerner offered five different justifications for denying the claim, and its ultimate decision to deny coverage came after learning that the flight would cost ...