United Healthcare Owes Teen $177,000 for Mental Health Treatment

United Healthcare Insurance Co. must pay $177,000, plus interest and attorneys’ fees, to cover a teenager’s yearlong mental health and substance abuse treatment at two residential facilities in Utah, a federal judge ruled.

United mishandled the teenager’s claim for coverage by failing to consider whether her substance abuse disorder required in-patient care independent of her mental health conditions, Judge Jill N. Parrish of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah said Wednesday. The health plan covering the teenager—referred to as L.P.—provides both mental health and substance abuse coverage, and United didn’t adequately engage with her need for the ...