Judge certifies class in suit alleging Aetna, Optum improperly billed patients

A federal judge in North Carolina certified class action status June 5 in a lawsuit alleging Aetna Inc. and UnitedHeath Group Inc.’s OptumHealth Care Solutions unit conspired to use "dummy codes" to make administrative fees appear to be billable medical charges, reports Becker’s Payer Issues. The two classes certified by the judge could cover more than 87,000 health plan participants, according to court records.