AMA grades health plans on how they handle claims

The AMA has launched a campaign to fix a claims-payment system that doctors say requires them to spend precious time and their own money to get paid what they're owed by insurance companies. As a starting point for its Cure the Claims campaign, the AMA released a report card at its Annual Meeting in June comparing the administrative accuracy and efficiencies of Medicare and several commercial payers. The report showed that insurers' claims payments are often late and inaccurate, explanations for denials are inconsistent, and payment rules are sometimes impossible to decipher. By Emily Berry, AMNews staff. July 7, 2008.