UnitedHealth Group is paying many of its own physician practices significantly more than it pays other doctor groups in the same markets for similar services, STAT reporters reveal in Part 5 of the series Health Care’s Colossus. For some types of care, the company’s insurance subsidiary doles out twice the average market price at its own practices. “It’s really a game the way they switch money from their right pocket to their left,” one doctor said. 

As a reminder, UnitedHealth is the country’s largest health insurer and fourth-largest company of any type by revenue. The company argues in marketing materials that its control of medical providers delivers greater efficiency, better care coordination, and lower costs. But STAT’s findings expose the effects of a deepening conflict of interest: As both a dominant insurance company and a health care provider, UnitedHealth can capture higher profits by paying itself inflated prices for basic checkups, surgeries, and procedures. 

STAT uncovered the payments in a first-of-its-kind analysis with health analytics company Tribunus Health that examined UnitedHealth’s own data as reported to the federal government. Read more in Part 5. 

And I urge you to check out the first few parts if you haven’t already. They document how UnitedHealth turned a questionable artery-screening program into a gold mine; it promised a hands-off approach when buying one Connecticut medical group, then upended everything its doctors had built; and its managers use tactics like bonuses and leaderboard rankings to pressure doctors.

Whooping cough cases are up sixfold in the U.S. since this time last year. Experts say it’s likely a return to the pre-pandemic cycle, but some worry that this season could be more severe due to a decline in vaccinations. Read more from STAT’s Anil Oza.

Singulair linked to severe mental health issues

Singulair, a widely prescribed asthma drug from Merck, may be linked to serious mental health issues including depression and suicidal ideation, U.S. government researchers have found. Lab testing showed that the drug, montelukast, binds to brain receptors associated with mood and cognition, Reuters writes.

Back in 2020, the FDA did add a black box warning to Singulair, saying there were potential neuropsychiatric risks. While the newer studies don’t prove causation, they reinforce reports from patients and families who have experienced severe side effects. Merck spinoff Organon, which markets the drug, said it remains confident in the drug’s safety profile.