By Dietrich Knauth

Dec 8, Reuters – West Virginia sued United HealthGroup on Monday in federal court, alleging that the company’s pharmacy benefit manager Optum fueled the state’s opioid crisis by oversupplying its communities with addictive painkillers.

State Attorney General J.B. McCuskey said West Virginia was already struggling with an addiction crisis when Optum began trying to evade legal safeguards that were meant to limit opioid sales.

“Optum saw a business opportunity,” McCuskey said in a statement. “And in its greed, Optum chose to make things worse.”

United HealthGroup did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pharmacy benefit managers handle prescription drug benefits for health insurance companies, large employers, and Medicare prescription drug plans — a grou

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