( October 25, 2019, 20:00 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: Two New York state officials wrote to UnitedHealth with a warning that an algorithm developed by subsidiary Optum for allocating health care cannot produce biased outcomes. The journal Science published an article finding that the algorithm, Impact Pro, prioritized complex care for White patients at the expense of Black patients. The algorithm relied on past health costs to make its determinations. "By relying on historic spending to triage and diagnose current patients, your algorithm appears to inherently prioritize white patients who have had greater access to healthcare than black patients," said Linda Lacewell, superintendent of the state department of financial services and Howard Zucker, commissioner of the department of health. "Neither you nor any other healthcare or insurance entity may produce, rely on, or promote an algorithm that has a discriminatory effect," the letter states.See document below....
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