Tag Archives: AHIP
Big Insurers Underspend On Medical Care, Senate Probe Finds
Posted on 03. Nov, 2009 by Editor.
Which big health insurance company did lawmakers single out? Is it the one that gives you the most denials trouble?
A US Senate probe confirms what many coders and billers have been suspecting all along — that six major medical insurers aren’t spending as much as they should providing actual health care.
Insurance industry officials say that all health insurers spend an average of 87 cents of every dollar on medical care, reports The Wall Street Journal. For the trade-group-curious, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) came up with the ‘87 cents’ figure.
And I bet you can tell me the names of the insurers that ‘underspend’ without reading the rest of the article. But just for grins — they’re Aetna Inc., Cigna Corp., Coventry Health Care Inc., Humana Inc., Unitedhealth Group Inc. and Wellpoint Inc., reports the Journal. These big fish spend an average of 74 cents on every dollar individuals pay in premiums on medical care (if they’re on individual plans). That figure goes up a bit for small group (80 cents). However, even the large group insurance average (84 cents) for these six insurers doesn’t hit AHIP’s estimate of how much premium money goes to actual medical care.
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Insurers Offer to Charge Sick People Less …
Posted on 01. Apr, 2009 by Editor.
… and healthy people more.
In an unexpected move last week, Karen M. Ignagni, president America’s Health Insurance Plans, told lawmakers that the health insurance industry is willing to change its policy of charging sick people higher premiums, reports The New York Times. The trade group says the industry will make up for the shortfall by charging healthy people higher premiums than they pay now.
We’re skeptical, some observers tell Coding News. The AHIP’s recent concession may well be a way to dodge any discussion about universal health care in Congress. And how do insurers intend to treat providers, given that most of the industry’s current rhetoric is about patients? More …
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