Nevada jury says health care firm undercut ER reimbursements

By KEN RITTER
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A jury in Nevada has found one of the nation’s largest health insurers liable for underpaying millions of dollars to out-of-network emergency medical providers in what plaintiffs’ attorneys argued was a systematic bid to boost company profits. The state court jury in Las Vegas awarded more than $2 million in damages to plaintiffs TeamHealth and others. The jury will return next week to decide punitive damages against defendants including United Healthcare Insurance Co. A spokesman said Wednesday the company is reviewing implications of the verdict. It was reached Monday. The breach-of-contract lawsuit focused on what emergency room care providers who aren’t covered by a patient’s insurance receive for treating patients who can’t by law be turned away.