David Armstrong
I investigate health care.
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What I Cover
I investigate health care. This includes pharmaceutical and medical device makers; researchers and providers; major hospitals and academic medical centers; and the health insurance industry.
My Background
I joined ProPublica in March 2018, and I have reported on the flawed science employed by experts testifying in child abuse cases, the fundraising practices of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the ways in which health insurers deny care. Previously, I was the senior enterprise reporter for STAT, where I wrote about abuses in the addiction treatment industry, the rise of fentanyl and the recruiting of college football players with histories of concussions. At The Wall Street Journal, I was part of the team awarded the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting on the attacks of Sept. 11. As a staff reporter at The Boston Globe, my investigation with colleagues of safety flaws in escalators won the George Polk Award and the Investigative Reporters and Editors award.
Inside UnitedHealth’s Effort to Deny Coverage for a Patient’s Care
After a college student finally found a treatment that worked, the insurance giant decided it wouldn’t pay for the costly drugs. His fight to get coverage exposed the insurer’s hidden procedures for rejecting claims.
by David Armstrong, ProPublica; Patrick Rucker, The Capitol Forum; and Maya Miller, ProPublica,
Sackler Embraced Plan to Conceal OxyContin’s Strength From Doctors, Sealed Testimony Shows
As OxyContin addiction spurred a national nightmare, a member of the family that has reaped billions of dollars from the painkiller boasted that sales exceeded his “fondest dreams,” according to a secret court document obtained by ProPublica.
by David Armstrong,
The Child Abuse Contrarian
Michael Holick, a renowned scientist turned expert witness, relies on his own controversial theory to help alleged abusers avoid prison and regain custody of the babies they were accused of harming.
by David Armstrong,
St. Jude Hoards Billions While Many of Its Families Drain Their Savings
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital promises not to bill families. But the cost of having a child at the hospital for cancer care leaves some families so strapped for money that parents share tips on spending nights in the parking lot.
by David Armstrong and Ryan Gabrielson,
“Not Medically Necessary”: Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Care
When companies like Aetna or UnitedHealthcare want to rein in costs, they turn to EviCore, whose business model depends on turning down payments for care recommended by doctors for their patients.
by T. Christian Miller, ProPublica; Patrick Rucker, The Capitol Forum; and David Armstrong, ProPublica,
A Doctor at Cigna Said Her Bosses Pressured Her to Review Patients’ Cases Too Quickly. Cigna Threatened to Fire Her.
Cigna tracks every minute that its staff doctors spend deciding whether to pay for health care. Dr. Debby Day said her bosses cared more about being fast than being right.
by Patrick Rucker, The Capitol Forum, and David Armstrong, ProPublica,
Doctors With Histories of Big Malpractice Settlements Work for Insurers, Deciding If They’ll Pay for Care
Doctors working for health insurers can rule on 10,000 or more requests for care a year. At least a dozen were hired by major insurance companies after being disciplined by state medical boards or making multiple or outsized malpractice payments.
by Patrick Rucker, The Capitol Forum, and David Armstrong and Doris Burke, ProPublica,
Congressional Committee, Regulators Question Cigna System That Lets Its Doctors Deny Claims Without Reading Patient Files
The probes follow an investigation by ProPublica and The Capitol Forum that Cigna allows its doctors to reject hundreds of thousands of claims a month.
by Patrick Rucker, The Capitol Forum, and Maya Miller and David Armstrong, ProPublica,
Health Insurance Claim Denied? See What Insurers Said Behind the Scenes
Learn how to request your health insurance claim file, which can include details about what your insurer is saying about you and your case.
by Maya Miller, ProPublica, with additional reporting by Patrick Rucker, The Capitol Forum, and David Armstrong, ProPublica,
How Cigna Saves Millions by Having Its Doctors Reject Claims Without Reading Them
Internal documents and former company executives reveal how Cigna doctors reject patients’ claims without opening their files. “We literally click and submit,” one former company doctor said.
by Patrick Rucker, The Capitol Forum, and Maya Miller and David Armstrong, ProPublica,
Do You Have Insights Into Dental and Health Insurance Denials? Help Us Report on the System.
Insurers deny tens of millions of claims every year. ProPublica is investigating why claims are denied, what the consequences are for patients and how the appeal process really works.
by David Armstrong, Patrick Rucker and Maya Miller,
St. Jude Stashed Away $886 Million in Unspent Revenue Last Year
New documents show that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s reserves grew to $7.6 billion, as other children's cancer nonprofits struggled to raise cash.
by David Armstrong and Ryan Gabrielson,
St. Jude Fights Donors’ Families in Court for Share of Estates
The high-profile children’s hospital uses donor money to engage in long and costly legal battles over wills. Here’s how St. Jude has created one of the most lucrative charitable bequest programs in the country.
by David Armstrong and Ryan Gabrielson,
We Are Releasing the Full Video of Richard Sackler’s Testimony About Purdue Pharma and the Opioid Crisis
A settlement is about to shield members of the Sackler family from civil litigation regarding their alleged roles in the opioid crisis.
by David Armstrong,