Millions of people suffer the consequences every day of exorbitant insurance fees and denial of necessary care. Our latest film with Ashley Gilbertson tackles this issue as it plays out in a St. Louis clinic where the staff refuses to accept an untenable situation.

U.S. insurance companies deny 850 million claims every year. 850 million! This strategy is designed to maximize profits, not serve customers. Companies like UnitedHealth Group bank on customers lacking the wherewithal to appeal their denials. One provider told us that it can take two weeks to file a single claim, and few doctors’ offices have that kind of staffing.

What most people don’t realize is that 50% of appeals have a chance of success, which is a great return for a lousy equation. 

This story was made possible by Claimable,  a start-up that is trying to hold insurance companies accountable by using AI to generate appeals. Out of the gate, Claimable, is seeing a great rate of return. We worked on the story in association with Wendell Potter, a former Cigna Insurance executive turned whistle blower. You can see Wendell’s blog, Health Care Un-covered, on Substack.

Overturned is part of our ongoing focus on the U.S. health care system, which started more than 20 years ago with our project, Denied: The Crisis of America’s Uninsured. Even then, opponents to health care reform insisted that the free market would fix everything. Decades later and many lives lost, the crisis continues to impact the most vulnerable people.

Running Time: 6 Minutes
Release Date: 2024