CMS bases Medicare Advantage payments on patient risk scores derived from medical diagnoses. According to the report, UnitedHealth uses software to suggest potential diagnoses for patients, which physicians must address before completing patient visits. These diagnoses are often obscure or minimally substantiated, physicians formerly employed by the company told the WSJ. The report found that sickness scores for UnitedHealth patients transitioning from traditional Medicare increased by 55% during their first year in a Medicare Advantage plan, outpacing the 30% MA industry average and leading to higher payments. UnitedHealth also incentivizes physicians to confirm diagnoses through performance-based compensation plans, according to the report.