UnitedHealth Prosthesis Coverage Suit Gets Class Treatment

UnitedHealth Group Inc. now faces a certified class action by more than 1,000 patients who say the insurer wrongly denied coverage for their prosthetic devices.

The class includes United-insured patients whose claims were denied because they sought prosthetic devices more advanced or functional than the minimum available devices. The lawsuit claims United routinely denies coverage for more advanced devices without identifying alternatives that would meet patients’ needs or informing patients that some components may be covered.

The Feb. 4 order by Judge John F. Walter of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California comes four months after...