UnitedHealth Group is facing a torrent of accusations that it and its industry peers have exploited the Medicare Advantage program to gain billions in extra payments from the federal treasury.

These coding practices have been well-documented for years, prompting critics to ask: How has this persisted for over a decade?

The stalemate stems from a rash of reasons, including worries about cutting benefits for seniors and the lobbying clout of health insurers.

“At the front of the line, I would put the influence of the insurance industry,” said Mark Miller, the former executive director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), a nonpartisan agency that makes recommendations to Congress. “The industry has a stranglehold on the Congress and any administration.”

Health insurers i

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