DOJ, Elevance spar over access to top exec in Medicare Advantage fraud case

Bob Herman covers health insurance, government programs, hospitals, physicians, and other providers — reporting on how money influences those businesses and shapes what we all pay for care. He is also the author of the Health Care Inc. newsletter. You can reach Bob on Signal at bobjherman.09.

One of the biggest Medicare Advantage fraud cases has hit a snag, with government officials saying they don’t have access to a key witness.

Elevance Health is blocking the deposition of Peter Haytaian, an outgoing executive who previously oversaw the health insurer’s Medicare Advantage plans, Department of Justice attorneys said this week in a letter to a judge. The letter also revealed how Elevance announced Haytaian’s departure right after DOJ first asked to depose him.

The dispute underscores the high stakes of the lawsuit, which the DOJ initiated in 2020. It also adds to the…