“Heartless Decision: Doctor Exposes Insurance Company’s Unbelievable Stunt Against Breast Cancer Patients!”
In today’s healthcare landscape, have you ever wondered just how far health insurance companies will go to verify coverage? I mean, it’s one thing to argue about co-pays or premiums, but interrupting a surgeon during a life-saving operation? That’s a whole new level of absurd! Dr. Elisabeth Potter, an Austin-based surgeon, recently went viral after she shared a shocking incident on TikTok where she was compelled to stop mid-surgery to answer a call from UnitedHealthcare. Can you believe it? While her patient was under the knife, an insurance rep wanted to discuss whether the patient’s hospital stay was warranted. Spoiler alert: the patient was asleep! Read on to dive deeper into this outrageous story that’s caught everyone’s attention and stirred a healthy dialogue about the state of insurance practices in the U.S. For more details, click here to LEARN MORE.
Health insurance is a very sensitive subject in the United States. Recently, the topic has been in the public eye more than probably ever before. The core problem is that many Americans feel that they pay a lot of money for insurance, but in some cases, their insurers go to extreme lengths to try to deny them coverage when they need healthcare.
The internet is applauding a Texas-based doctor who publicly called out UnitedHealthcare. In a massively viral video on TikTok, Dr. Elisabeth Potter claimed that she had to stop mid-surgery to take a call, during which she was told to urgently contact the company. An insurance employee then asked for information about a patient’s diagnosis while she was on the operating table. The employee was trying to determine whether the person’s inpatient stay should be justified. Read on for the full story.
Bored Panda has reached out to Dr. Potter via email for further comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.
More info: TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Website
A doctor made a huge splash on the internet after calling out an insurance company which interrupted her in the middle of surgery
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Dr. Potter, who works in Austin, Texas, was appalled by the entire situation and posted a video about it on TikTok
“It’s 2025, and insurance just keeps getting worse.”
Image credits: drelisabethpotter
“I just did two bilateral DIEPs and two bilateral tissue expanders for patients, and I’ve never had this happen before. During the second DIEP, I got a phone call into the operating room saying that United Healthcare wanted me to call them about one of the patients who was having surgery today, who was actually asleep having surgery. They said I had to call right now. So I scrubbed out of my case, and I called United Healthcare, and the gentleman said he needed some information about her.”
Image credits: drelisabethpotter
“He wants to know her diagnosis and whether her impatience day should be justified. And I was like, do you understand that she’s asleep right now and she has breast cancer? And the gentleman said, actually, I don’t. That’s a different department that would know that information.”
Image credits: drelisabethpotter
“And I was like, well, she does need to stay overnight tonight. You have all the information with you, because I got approval for this surgery, and I need to go back and be with my patient now.
It’s out of control. Insurance is out of control. I have no other words.”
You can watch the full viral video right here
@drelisabethpotterIt’s 2025, and navigating insurance has somehow gotten even more out of control… I just performed two bilateral DIEP flap surgeries and two bilateral tissue expander surgeries. During one of the DIEP cases, I was interrupted by a call from United Healthcare—while the patient was already asleep on the operating table. They demanded information about her diagnosis and inpatient stay justification. I had to scrub out mid-surgery to call United, only to find that the person on the line didn’t even have access to the patient’s full medical information, despite the procedure already being pre-approved. It’s beyond frustrating and, frankly, unacceptable. Patients and providers deserve better than this. We should be focused on care, not bureaucracy. I just have no other words at this point♬ original sound – Dr. Elisabeth Potter
Image credits: Chad Davis (not the actual photo)
The company that the doctor called out is one of the most powerful businesses in the entire world
Dr. Potter has gone viral on TikTok, social media, and in the media after calling out UnitedHealthcare for interrupting an important operation. Not only did the company allegedly dispute the patient’s care while she was in surgery, but the insurance representative also did not have access to the patient’s medical history.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a US multinational for-profit company that specializes in health insurance and health care services. It sells insurance products under UnitedHealthcare. Meanwhile, it also sells healthcare services under the Optum brand. It is the world’s largest healthcare company in terms of revenue.
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