He added: “This today is a victory for all of the frontline heroes in Nevada, front line emergency room workers, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.” “Despite enormous efforts by TeamHealth to have legislators and people in the industry listen, it took eight ordinary citizens to hopefully bring about more change than anything that has been done to date." “For too long United just thought they could do whatever they wanted,” Zavatsanos said after the jury was dismissed. Testimony showed that United Healthcare cut reimbursements to out-of-network providers by more than half from 2017 to 2020 - from $528 to $246. In emergency rooms, where patients cannot by law be turned away, attending medical care providers treating sore throats, broken ankles, heart attacks and gunshot wounds may not be covered by patients' insurance plans. “I hope this sends a message to United Healthcare about the importance of our frontline workers,” Scherr said. Fifty-eight people died that night hundreds were injured. history in October 2017 at a Las Vegas Strip concert. “A jury of my peers realized the value of emergency medicine in Nevada,” said Scherr, who headed trauma teams treating critically injured victims after the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. Scott Scherr, emergency department director at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center in Las Vegas and regional medical director of TeamHealth, testified during the monthlong trial. harmed doctors, anesthesiologists and nurses.ĭr. “The only thing they understand is money,” Zavitsanos said, ending his call to jurors to send a message that defendants also including United Healthcare Insurance Co., United Health Care Services Inc. They characterized the parent company, UnitedHealth Group, as a “Fortune 5” member, among the largest businesses in the nation. Zavitsanos and Houston-based law partner Joseph Ahmad had asked for punitive damages of between $100 million and $1 billion from United Healthcare.
Daniel Polsenberg, a Las Vegas attorney representing defendants, asked Clark County District Court Judge Nancy Allf to schedule post-verdict hearings. He did not provide an immediate comment after the damage awards were read.Īppeals are expected.
“They were able to get away with this until now,” plaintiffs’ attorney John Zavitsanos told the eight jurors who last week awarded $2.65 million in compensatory damages to plaintiffs Fremont Emergency Services (Mandavia) Ltd., Team Physicians of Nevada-Mandavia PC and the parent company of Ruby Crest Emergency Medicine.ĭustin Clark, communications vice president for parent company United Healthcare, said Tuesday the company was monitoring the proceedings in Nevada state court. and five subsidiaries, including the two dominant providers in the Las Vegas area: Sierra Health and Life Insurance Co., and Health Plan of Nevada Inc. health insurance companies and its branches in Nevada were found liable Tuesday for $60 million in punitive damages for underpaying out-of-network emergency medical providers.Ī state court jury said three plaintiffs headed by urgent care staffing service TeamHealth should each receive shares of $20 million from Connecticut-based United Healthcare Insurance Co.