Managed Care - May 2008 - (Page 16) NEWS AND COMMENTARY Hospitals give payers low marks on image, reputation Even as health plans tout their ratings of the quality of their hospitals and other providers, it’s not surprising that hospitals, at least, are returning the favor. A survey released by Davies Public Affairs measured hospital executives’ perceptions of the nation’s largest health insurance companies. United Healthcare generated particularly intense responses among hospital executives. The Minneapolis-based insurer garnered an unfavorable opinion from 91 percent of executives polled. This compares with an average unfavorable rating of 41 percent for all other insurers. Lest you think this is an anomaly, last year 87 percent of participants said United Healthcare was “difficult” or “very difficult” to deal with. Maybe this is just sour grapes for executives who are picking on United Healthcare because it is tight-fisted? But no, that’s not the case. United’s “reimbursement rates were not significantly lower than other major payers,” says Brandon Edwards, president and chief operating officer of Davies. “They are viewed as untrustworthy and dishonest. This was an unanticipated finding.” Cheryl Randolph, spokeswoman for United Healthcare, says, “While we welcome productive evaluations from our customers and network providers, we are disappointed that this narrow survey fails to fairly represent the good relationships that United Healthcare has with most hospitals.” The survey results are based on 113 interview respondents representing more than 500 hospitals, or about 10 percent of all hospitals in the United States. Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for Medicare Part D recipients. A third tool relates to formulary and benefit transactions. Back in January 2006, CMS approved standards to help facilitate e-prescribing. Under the Medicare Modernization Act, CMS was charged with testing additional tools and standards. The final e-prescribing rule was published in the Federal Register on April 2. Headlines On Deadline . . . . Consumer directed health plans (CDHPs) deliver modestly better cost savings than non-CDHPs, according to the “Consumer-Driven Impact Study” by Milliman. When adjustments are made for typical risk and benefit factors, CDHPs produce 1.5 percent in savings beyond traditional plans WellPoint announced that it is launching the first real-time drug surveillance system that will monitor the insurer’s 35-million-member database and identify increases in health problems among members taking a given drug, indicating a potential serious adverse event (SAE). It is expected that the company’s Safety Sentinel System will also make it possible to examine whether particular combinations of treatments could cause serious medical problems, especially in patients with certain diseases or health conditions. . . . Small businesses feel the pinch of providing health insurance to employees more than their large counterparts do, according a Rand study, “Economic Burden of Health Insurance Increasing for Small Employers Providing Health Insurance.” The cost of insurance for these small businesses rose nearly 30 percent from 2000 to 2005, significantly more than the hikes experienced by medium and large businesses during the same time. — Tony Berberabe The request “For each health plan listed below, please indicate whether you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable opinion of that health plan.” Very or somewhat unfavorable Very or somewhat favorable United Healthcare WellPoint/Anthem Coventry/First Health Cigna State/Regional BCBS Aetna 91% 48% 35% 47% 38% 37% 8% 20% 38% 44% 46% 57% Source: Davies Public Affairs 16 MANAGED CARE / MAY 2008
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