Insurance chaos: Surgeon interrupted mid-cancer operation

A shocking story from Texas highlights the growing crisis in the United States’ healthcare system.

Dr. Elisabeth Potter is a plastic surgeon specializing in breast cancer reconstruction.

She says she was interrupted mid-surgery by a phone call from insurance giant UnitedHealthcare.

The patient, who was under anesthesia for a complex cancer procedure, became the subject of an urgent insurance inquiry questioning the surgery’s necessity.

Potter was stunned to find the caller was unaware of the patient’s cancer diagnosis. 

This was information known to a separate department within UnitedHealthcare.

Potter criticized the insurer’s system, saying, “It’s out of control.”

She quickly ended the call to focus on her patient.

UnitedHealthcare has denied any wrongdoing, saying such calls should not interrupt surgery.

Potter’s story follows public outrage after the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO last month. 

Critics argue this is part of a profit-driven system that prioritizes bureaucracy over care.