10/09/2026
As a mental health professional, this is more than frustrating. It is deeply concerning, and it is a reality I see firsthand in my work with clients and in navigating the health insurance system myself.
The recent ProPublica investigation into UnitedHealth and the use of algorithms to determine mental health care necessity raises a fundamental question: When did financial interests become more important than people’s health?
This country has created a system in which for-profit insurance companies have enormous influence over who receives care, what treatment is considered necessary, and how much clinicians are reimbursed for providing it. When algorithms, cost-containment measures, and administrative barriers begin to dictate access to treatment, we must question whether the system is serving patients or shareholders.
And this extends far beyond mental health. People are struggling to find physicians, obtain timely appointments, afford treatment, and navigate insurance coverage for basic health care. Mental health care is no exception. Physical health and mental health are equally essential to our overall well-being, yet accessing either has become an exhausting battle for far too many people.
As a therapist, I see the impact of these barriers on both sides. Individuals seeking support encounter delays, coverage restrictions, and financial obstacles when they are already struggling. Meanwhile, clinicians spend countless hours navigating insurance requirements, fighting for appropriate reimbursement, and trying to sustain practices that allow them to continue accepting insurance. The result? Clinician burnout, fewer accessible providers, and patients left trying to find care within a system that makes it increasingly difficult to receive it.
When organizations such as UnitedHealth Group and Optum hold such significant influence over health care delivery, utilization management, and provider networks, we must take a hard look at the concentration of power within our health care system. A system that prioritizes profitability over access, clinical judgment, and patient well-being is a system that needs fundamental structural change.
I believe we need to go beyond asking for incremental improvements. We need to seriously challenge the role of profit-driven insurance models in health care and demand a system in which access to medically necessary care is the priority—not a threat to a company’s bottom line.
Regulations mean little without meaningful enforcement. Mental health parity means little if people cannot access treatment. And having insurance means little if that insurance does not translate into timely, affordable, appropriate care.
This is not simply a health insurance issue. It is a human issue.
We need clinicians, patients, families, advocates, and policymakers to speak up and take action. Demand accountability. Support stronger enforcement of mental health parity laws. Advocate for transparency in coverage decisions and reimbursement practices. And push for structural reforms that put people before profits.
I entered this profession because I believe people deserve to be heard, supported, and able to access the care they need. I cannot reconcile that belief with a system that repeatedly places financial interests ahead of human well-being.
Health care is not a luxury. Mental health care is not optional. And people should never have to fight this hard to receive either.
Read the ProPublica investigation: https://www.propublica.org/article/unitedhealth-mental-health-care-denied-illegal-algorithm
United used an algorithm system to identify patients who it determined were getting too much therapy and then limited coverage. It was deemed illegal in three states, but similar practices persist due to a patchwork of regulation.
