Most Insurance Claims Filed Electronically
Physicians, hospitals and pharmacies currently file about three-fourths of insurance claims electronically, compared with 44% in 2002, according to a survey by America's Health Insurance Plans announced on Thursday, the New York Times reports.
AHIP based the survey, which involved responses from 26 health insurers, on claims filed over one week some time after Oct. 1, 2005. According to the survey, respondents processed 98% of accepted claims within 30 days of receipt and returned one in seven claims as "incomplete or incorrect."
The survey does not indicate the number of claims denied by respondents. In addition, the survey finds that respondents received 29% of claims more than one month after patients received treatment. According to the Times, the survey "reflects the growing role of electronic claims processing companies that help doctors and hospitals get paid" (Freudenheim, New York Times, 5/26).