Texas Surgeon Says UnitedHealthcare Dispute May Lead to Bankruptcy

Dr. Elisabeth Potter, a plastic surgeon based in Austin, Texas, has raised alarming concerns about her financial future — and the role of insurance companies in modern medicine. She claims that a conflict with UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest health insurers in the U.S., may force her into bankruptcy after the company refused to bring her new surgery center into its in-network provider list.

UnitedHealthcare Called Mid-Surgery: “That Was the Wake-Up Call”

In a viral TikTok video that has now reached nearly 6 million views, Dr. Potter recounted a shocking incident from January 2025: she received a call from a UnitedHealthcare representative while she was performing breast reconstruction surgery. The insurer questioned why the patient needed to stay overnight, even though the procedure itself had already been approved.

“The person on the phone asked for the diagnosis of the patient — while she was under anesthesia on the table,” Potter told NBC News.

Although she chose to step out of the surgery to take the call, she emphasized that physicians often feel obligated to respond immediately when insurers call.

“In 2025, when insurance says ‘jump,’ I say, ‘how high?’” she added.

UnitedHealthcare responded by saying it never expected a physician to interrupt care for an insurance issue and claimed the overnight stay had actually been approved, blaming the confusion on a separate paperwork error.

Texas Surgeon Says UnitedHealthcare Dispute May Threaten Her Practice

Dr. Potter opened RedBud Surgery Center in April 2024, aiming to provide high-quality care at a lower cost to both patients and insurers. However, UnitedHealthcare has declined to include the facility in its network, though Potter herself remains an in-network physician at hospitals.

This means she cannot perform surgeries at her own clinic for UnitedHealthcare patients unless those patients agree to pay out of pocket — an unlikely option.

Potter believes the insurer is retaliating against her for her social media criticism, but UnitedHealthcare insists its network had already been closed to new surgery centers months earlier. The company said there were enough centers in the area and that communications from Potter’s team did not constitute active negotiations.

Still, Potter maintains there were ongoing conversations through her consultant up to January 2025 — around the same time her viral TikTok video was posted.

A Health System That Punishes Providers?

Potter’s story is being seen by some as a reflection of broader tensions between health care providers and insurance companies.

Dr. Adam Gaffney, a critical care physician and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, said while he couldn’t speak directly to Potter’s case, insurance interference is a routine challenge for many doctors.

“Fighting with insurance companies is not why people signed up to be doctors,” Gaffney said, criticizing how insurers routinely deny claims or create obstacles to care — even when services are provided in-network.

A 2021 study by KFF revealed that insurers denied 17% of claims on average, despite patients using in-network doctors.

UnitedHealthcare Faces Broader Scrutiny

Potter’s situation unfolds amid growing scrutiny of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare. The company is facing both civil and criminal investigations by the U.S. Justice Department regarding Medicare billing practices and potential antitrust violations.

A July report from The New York Times also alleged that the insurer attempted to silence critics, including journalists, filmmakers, and health care professionals. Potter was among the sources named.

In May, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty suddenly stepped down, citing personal reasons. The company maintains it has done nothing wrong and that its Medicare program stands by its integrity.

Keeping Her Clinic Alive

Dr. Potter said she left hospital-based work to open her own center because she believed she could provide better, more cost-effective care in a private setting. She took out $3.5 million in personal loans to start RedBud Surgery Center and went through the difficult process of certification to be eligible for Medicaid and private insurance billing.

But because of the dispute with UnitedHealthcare, her clinic is struggling. She says she’s $5 million in debt, is not drawing a salary, and fears she only has a few months left before the business fails.

“All I want is for medically appropriate patients to receive care at RedBud Surgery Center. It’s the same quality, just more affordable — and it keeps the lights on.”

The Bigger Picture

Experts say that Potter’s case illustrates a growing concern about the control private insurance companies wield over health care in the U.S.

“We’ve allowed for-profit insurers to decide what care we get,” said Dr. Arthur Caplan, head of medical ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center. “It’s an immoral system.”

He warned that without government intervention, more conflicts like Potter’s will continue to emerge as insurers try to cut costs — often at the expense of patients and physicians