On January 7th, 2025 I shared a video, after I was asked to call UnitedHealthcare from the operating room to answer administrative questions about the patient who was having surgery to treat breast cancer. Despite my efforts, they denied her stay. UnitedHealthcare didn’t stop at calling me during surgery. Now, they’ve sent me a legal threat—and even worse? They ended up denying my cancer patient’s hospital stay. Exactly what I was afraid would happen. Staying overnight after major surgery isn’t optional—it’s medically necessary. But UnitedHealthcare decided they know better than the doctors caring for the patient. When they called me while I was operating, I knew that if I didn’t step out and respond immediately, they might deny her stay—leaving her with a massive bill. So, with another surgeon in the OR, I scrubbed out and called them back. But after all of that? They denied her stay anyway. And instead of fixing their broken system, they sent me a legal threat for speaking out. I’m sharing their response in full, letting their words speak for themselves. Let me be clear: I stand by everything I said. I told the truth. I was honest about what’s happening in our healthcare system. And I will not be silenced by legal threats when it comes to advocating for my patients and my ability to care for them. Denying an overnight stay that a doctor orders is dangerous. The doctor caring for the patient should be able to make these decisions without delay, pressure, or harassment. If I don’t speak up, I lose—my integrity, my voice, and the opportunity to make a difference. And while it’s intimidating to receive a letter like this from a company as powerful as UnitedHealthcare, I know where I stand. I am a woman taking care of women affected by breast cancer. I do this work with all of my heart, and I will continue to speak up for my patients—because they deserve better. I ask you to follow along, share this story, and have these conversations in your own communities. I know I’m not the only one dealing with this, and real change will take all of us telling our stories and standing up for what’s right. I’m here for it. Are you?

Nine minutes on hold and still no answers—UnitedHealthcare, are you serious? UnitedHealthcare called me mid-surgery because they wanted justification for my patient’s diagnosis and inpatient stay—despite the surgery already being pre-approved. Worse? The rep didn’t even have full access to my patient's medical info. After posting about it, United left a message at my office with a callback number. As a doctor, it’s nearly impossible to get through to someone at an insurance company, but I gave it a shot. ⏳I waited on hold for nearly 10 minutes—only to reach no one. I still don’t know what they wanted to discuss. This isn’t just frustrating—it’s broken. 🚨How do we change this?

I’m sharing some of my recent posts here for those who are following.

As a doctor, it is next to impossible for me to reach out and talk to someone at an insurance company. But after posting that video, UnitedHealthcare actually reached out to MY office and left their number. I am going to call them back and I will let you know what they say…

My patients always come first 💙

It’s 2025, and navigating insurance has only gotten worse... Today I performed four breast reconstruction surgeries. During one, I was interrupted by a call from UnitedHealthcare—while my patient was already asleep on the operating table. They wanted information about her diagnosis and inpatient stay justification. With another surgeon present, I scrubbed out mid-surgery to call United—out of fear they would deny her stay. But when I got on the line, the representative didn’t even have access to her full medical records—despite the procedure already being pre-approved. This is beyond frustrating. Patients and providers deserve better than this. We should be focused on care, not bureaucracy. I have no other words at this point.

I’m the surgeon, Dr. Elisabeth Potter. @EPotterMD Thank you for sharing this story. One benefit of making it to my current position as a female reconstructive microsurgeon is being able to spot the glow of United’s gaslight from miles away. Another benefit is loving my work and my patients so much that even this is worth it.

@SamQueen777 @joeroganhq @joerogan I’m right there with you. But I’ve got some ideas🤓 Starting with getting real competition and common sense back into healthcare.

@joeroganhq @joerogan Thank you for talking about this! There is so much to say about the state of insurance and healthcare.

Take a moment on Juneteenth to read about the realities of health disparities in the United Stares and how @AmericanCancer is engaging.

RT @AliRogin: Our piece on this issue, featuring microsurgeon @EPotterMD, from March:

THANK YOU to everyone who raised their voice 📣 & those who paused, listened and changed their mind to protect access to natural breast reconstruction! The fight's not over - this is a delay, but it's proof we're making progress. Let's keep going! #KeepTheDiep #ReverseTheChange

Happy to officially say that Cigna is delaying implementation of their new reimbursement policy. And are remediating for services performed since March 12. Translation: Cigna will pay for DIEP flap reconstruction for their members, including DIEPs done since March 12.

@ASJrnl @AngelaChengMD @NahaiDr @drkenkel @TheAestheticSoc This is such an honor! So proud to be a part of this team🙏🏻💪🏻!

RT @ASJrnl: Please join ASJ Open Forum in welcoming @AngelaChengMD @EPotterMD and Dr Steven Sigalove as our new Aesthetic Breast Reconstruc…

RT @dapattmd: Choosing a career path is complex, but I felt like the opportunities to do cutting edge research, care innovation, and change…

Your voices are being heard! 🔊 As of today, 4,600 individuals have signed the petition that urges reinstating the S codes to protect DIEP Flap. The letter was signed by: 34 patient advocacy organizations, 12 medical professional societies, and 231 healthcare professionals. 💪

RT @NewsHour: Investigative journalists at ProPublica found that the insurance company Cigna is using artificial intelligence to assess, an…

RT @_nicoleleonard: I spoke to breast cancer survivors who say having choices and reasonable access to all types of reconstruction surgerie…

RT @dapattmd: How can patients advocate on their own behalf? Do they know that the tests they need are being systematically denied by the c…