The Denial Economy: 85 Million Claims Denied in One Year, and How Aetna, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare Turn Mental Health Denials Into a Business Model

Insurers on HealthCare.gov denied 19% of in-network claims in 2024, about 85 million in all, and fewer than 1% were ever appealed. When neutral reviewers re-checked mental health denials in New York, they overturned six in ten. The 'no' counts on being the last word. It doesn't have to be.