The 2011 edition of the National Health Insurer Report Cards were recently released and illustrated some disturbing trends.

In case your not familiar with the NHIRC, it’s the 4^th annual report sponsored by the AMA looking into financial waste, timeliness and accuracy of claims due to common insurance payer tactics.  This year’s segment analyzed claims data from a randomized sampling of over 2.4 million claims. (You can get the full version of the NHIRC here).

Many of the big payers are represented in the report cards – Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, United HealthCare and Medicare.

From the findings, it’s likely one or more of these payers are causing you trouble (whether you realize it or not).  The report cards allow a glimpse at who is notorious for paying claims late, requiring mounds of paperwork, using underhanded tricks to under-pay contracted fee rates when you’re not looking and more.

Don’t be a victim!  Here’s the Executive Summary of what the NHIRC found out: Read More