Deadline looms for out-of-network UnitedHealth settlement funds

Less than 1 month remains for physicians to file a claim for the $350 million settlement reached against UnitedHealth Group and its Ingenix subsidiary for its flawed out-of-network reimbursement database.

In 2009, UnitedHealth settled with the American Medical Association in a class-action suit, which accused Ingenix of understating its calculation of "usual, customary, and reasonable" charges when paying physicians for out-of-network medical services.

Physicians have until Oct. 5, 2010 to file a claim on the funds available to compensate them for 15 years of low payments for out-of-network services, according to the settlement. For information about filing a claim, visit http://ama-assn.org.