AMA Gives Failing Report Card To Health Insurance Industry
The American Medical Association grew a bigger set of balls when it released a report blasting one of its main sources of revenue — the health insurance industry. Even brain surgeons are complaining that health insurance forms are too complex (see — it’s not just you!) They also report that it’s taking doctors 14% of their salaries just to try and get the money owed to them from health insurance companies.
What’s Up, Doc?
This report blasts the industry as a whole and not just one particular health insurance company, although the AMA did give a sobering diagnosis to some of the nation’s most prominant health insurance companies. This is the number based on how often the particular company did not argue with the doctor when he or she wanted to be paid:
- United Health Care: 62%
- Aetna 71%
- Medicare 98%
Wow. Do you mean doctors may actually be concerned with getting their patients better without bankrupting them? Stranger things have happened.
A Case Study
I remember back when I worked at Macy’s and got a concussion on the job from a Macy’s fixture (don’t ask). Macy’s called an ambulance to take me to the closest emergency room. After waiting ten hours, I finally got examined.
A year later, long after I quit Macy’s, I was still getting reminders about the bill. I just forwarded them to Macy’s, which, to its credit, paid up and I wound up not having to pay anything. But this was over a year of back and forth letters, print outs, postage, yadayadayada between the Macy’s and their health insurance company.
And this is considered normal in this country. And we wonder why our health care industry is so screwed up? Going to voodoo healers makes more sense because insurance forms aren’t involved. You walk in, get some bones shaken at you, given a potion or two, you pay up front and then when you walk out and get on with your life.
Thank you, AMA, for actually giving a damn. And I think bodypaint and grassskirts would look great on you lot.
Leave a Reply