Doctor says UnitedHealthcare stopped cancer surgery to ask if necessary

A doctor has shared a shocking story of how UnitedHealthcare stopped a cancer surgery to ask if it was medically necessary in a new Instagram video.
Elisabeth Potter, a doctor based in Austin, Texas, created a video on Instagram detailing her experience treating a cancer patient and the roadblocks UnitedHealthcare put up during a surgery procedure.
Why It Matters
UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in Manhattan in early December, sparking a wave of debate and criticism over how insurance companies like UnitedHealthcare block care for patients under prior authorization rules.
In some cases, this leads to patients not being able to secure lifesaving treatment or having to spend tens of thousands out of pocket for care.
UnitedHealthcare is currently facing a lawsuit that claims the insurer illegally denied patients necessary care they were entitled to under Medicare Advantage plans by using an AI model with a known 90 percent error rate.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
Potter said she was performing a bilateral DIEP flap surgery, which is a reconstruction surgery that takes place after a mastectomy when she was interrupted by a call from United Healthcare. The patient was already asleep on the operating table.
“They demanded information about her diagnosis and inpatient stay justification,” Potter said in a post on Instagram. “I had to scrub out mid-surgery to call United, only to find that the person on the line didn’t even have access to the patient’s full medical information, despite the procedure already being pre-approved. It’s beyond frustrating and, frankly, unacceptable. Patients and providers deserve better than this. We should be focused on care, not bureaucracy.”
Potter added in the video: “I was like, do you understand that she’s asleep right now and that she has breast cancer, and the gentleman said, ‘Actually, I don’t. That’s a different department that would know that information… It’s out of control. Insurance is out of control. I have no other words.”
Newsweek reached out to Potter and UnitedHealthcare for comment via email.
“The trend is disturbing,” Potter told Newsweek. “There is no room in healthcare where the pressure of insurance isn’t felt by both patients and doctors. Not even the operating room. When will we say enough is enough and push back? I’d say now. This is already out of hand.”
Newsweek was unable to verify details of the case, but Potter’s website page describes her as a plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction.
According to Healthgrades, Potter has over 17 years of experience in the medical field. The website also said she graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 2007 and is affiliated with St. David’s Medical Center.
What People Are Saying
Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek: “Insurance companies employ what I call the ‘attrition strategy’ – a calculated approach where administrative hurdles serve as profit protection mechanisms. I’ve seen this from both sides: advising clients struggling with medical bills and analyzing insurance company financials. The math is simple but troubling: if even 30% of patients give up on pursuing care due to delays and denials, that translates to hundreds of millions in preserved capital for the insurer.”
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “Situations like this, no matter if such a call was necessary or not, are the reason why public relations are so strained between the general public and health insurance providers. Individuals pay a good portion of their earnings over their lives for coverage for their families and themselves, only to discover when they actually need to utilize that insurance, they are denied the ability to do so. No one expected businesses like UnitedHealthcare to completely change overnight, but there does need to be a better understanding of the policies and procedures that go into accepting or denying a claim. If all that’s known is that the claim is denied and transparency continues to be elusive, it’s going to bring more resentment to an industry that can’t afford much more.”
Veer Gidwaney, the founder and CEO of Ansel Health, told Newsweek: “Health insurance companies often take actions such as this to manage costs, which is too common. Expenses should never come at the expense of patient safety.”
What Happens Next
Americans have been criticizing UnitedHealthcare in the weeks following Thompson’s death, with some on social media going far enough to say that the killing was justified based on insurance companies’ roles in the deaths of Americans in the healthcare system.
When it comes to coverage decisions, Ryan said Potter’s experience is reflective of the larger health insurance industry.
“This isn’t just about UnitedHealthcare,” Ryan said. “It’s symptomatic of an industry where financial metrics have eclipsed medical ones. When insurance companies can override physician decisions mid-procedure, we’ve moved beyond reasonable cost control into dangerous territory. The financial incentives need realignment, starting with regulatory reform that puts meaningful penalties on delayed care approvals.”