I was reviewing my own medical insurance policy the other day and it occurred to me that medical insurance has become a dirty term. From industry or from individuals’ or patients’ perspectives, I don’t hear anyone that has favorable remarks about insurance. It is an understatement to say that the communication on the ACR advocacy list serve lately has focused specifically on insurance-related matters. When it comes to dealing with insurance companies, the rules seem to change frequently and always in an arbitrary and capricious way. The ACR is trying its best to protect rheumatologists, but we need your help!
Insurance and Administrative Burdens
Health Affairs published an article in 2009 titled, “What Does it Cost Physician Practices to Interact with Health Insurance Plans?”1 According to the article, “physicians reported spending three hours weekly interacting with plans, nursing and clerical staff spent much larger amounts of time. When time is converted to dollars, we estimate that that national cost to practices of interaction with plans is at least $23 billion to $31 billion per year.”