United Healthcare Denying a Claim of Nearly $400,000 – Please Help

Location: Tennessee

Back in January, my mother was transferred from an emergency room to an out-of-network hospital (facility) for emergency medical treatment to remove a tumor that was found in her brain. This tumor was causing her brain to swell. The emergency room attempted to call two in-network facilities first, both of which either failed to respond or did not have an open bed to take my mother.

The bill for my mother’s stay amounts to nearly $400,000. United Healthcare has denied this claim in its entirety. My father does not know what to do; he is beside himself at the thought of being $400,000 in the hole. I have helped him appeal this decision twice, but they have rejected both appeals, with the most recent rejection being within the last week.

I have spent hours looking – calling, emailing, filling out online forms – for an attorney who takes on these types of cases. I have had no luck. No one I am finding seems to specialize in this area of law.

This case would be located in Tennessee (as this is the location of the out-of-network facility and the state which my father’s health insurance plan is taken out of). Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do next, as well as the names of any law offices that would take on such a case?

As an aside, I (somewhat) understand the No Surprises Act, Balance Billing, and Surprise Billing. My father has not received a bill from the out-of-network facility – but I assume it is coming. I want to be prepared.

Any help would be appreciated. I keep hitting a wall, trying to get this bill figured out, but I have had no luck.