Outliers has always thought of the profusion of acronyms in healthcare as just annoying. But now, one has sparked a legal battle, as University HealthSystem Consortium is suing UnitedHealth Group over the use of “UHC.”
Seems the Minnetonka, Minn.-based insurer's use of “UHC” for its UnitedHealthcare business has created confusion about a link with the Chicago-based not-for-profit, which is a group of academic medical centers. The consortium was formed in 1984 and registered UHC as a trademark nine years later, according to a complaint filed recently in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The consortium has received confidential patient information intended for UnitedHealth, and some consumers have contacted the group seeking information about their insurance claims, according to the complaint. A spokesman for UnitedHealthcare declined to comment.
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