{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140104063829/http://www.blumenthal.senate.gov:80/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-files-amicus-brief-supporting-medical-associations-in-lawsuit-against-uhg_-", "Blumenthal Files Amicus Brief Supporting Medical Associations In Lawsuit Against UHG", "2013-12-30", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "In The Brief, Blumenthal Argues That Connecticut Patients Are Facing A \u201cHobson\u2019s Choice\u201d As A Result Of UHG\u2019s Actions\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 30, 2013\n\t\t\t(Hartford, DC) \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) filed an amicus brief in support of the Fairfield County Medical Association and Hartford County Medical Association, both of whom filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare Group (UHG) in November alleging the nation\u2019s largest insurer is breaking its contractual obligation with association members by dropping them from its Medicare Advantage network. In the brief, Blumenthal argues that Connecticut patients are facing a \u201cHobson\u2019s Choice\u201d as a result of UHG\u2019s actions.\n\u201cIn the absence of an injunction, the patients of the over 2,200 terminated physicians will face irreparable harm by being effectively denied access to their long-standing and chosen physicians,\u201d the brief states. \u201cConnecticut patients will immediately face the Hobson\u2019s choice of having to give up their current physicians, thereby risking medical errors arising from lack of continuity of care, or paying much higher rates to retain their current physicians.\u201d\nIn the brief, Blumenthal lists 11 examples of patients and providers who are facing \u201cirreparable harm\u201d as a result of UHG\u2019s actions. In one example, a 75-year-old Branford, CT resident was informed that he would no longer be able to receive his medically necessary cancer treatment as a result of UHG dropping his treatment team from its network. In another example, a provider in Stafford Springs, CT states that his full-time family practice, the only one in Stafford Springs, is at risk of financial devastation, and that many of his patients, 38 percent of whom are Medicare beneficiaries, will be left without a primary care physician close to home as a result of UHG dropping him from its network. In all cases, the patients and providers reached out to Blumenthal\u2019s office for help.\n\u201cThese examples confirm the District Court\u2019s finding of irreparable harm inasmuch as \u2018the disruption of the physician-patient relationship can cause irreparable harm that justifies issuing preliminary injunctive relief, particularly when the patient belongs to a vulnerable class or may have a deep trust relationship with the physician because of the serious nature of the patient\u2019s illness or medical needs,\u201d the brief states. \u201cThe examples related above are just the tip of the iceberg.\u00a0 The termination of 2,200 physicians from a health care plan in a state the size of Connecticut creates enormous risks to patient safety on a state-wide basis.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\nFull text of the brief can be found here.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tKamara Jones - 202-224-0309 Kamara_Jones@blumenthal.senate.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140104063829/http://www.blumenthal.senate.gov:80/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-files-amicus-brief-supporting-medical-associations-in-lawsuit-against-uhg_-"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.7926070615649223, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}