UnitedHealth sued over nH Predict's 90% error rate in care denials

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota, centers on how NaviHealth case managers fed patient data into nH Predict and how the model's projected discharge dates were used. According to former employees cited in investigative reporting by Stat, the algorithm does not fully account for comorbidities or complications that emerge mid-stay, such as pneumonia, which can significantly extend recovery time.

The complaint also points to internal pressure on staff. In 2022, NaviHealth reportedly required case managers to keep patient stays within 3% of nH Predict's projection, and by 2023 that margin had tightened to 1%. Former case manager and occupational therapist Amber Lynch told investigators the approach "takes the dignity out of the patient." This context may support the plaintiffs' argument that the tool's influence extended beyond a mere advisory role, an inference the court will likely weigh as discovery proceeds.