Healthcare Billing & Management Association Presents Survey Findings to America?s Health Insurance Plans

The Healthcare Billing & Management Association (HBMA), a non-profit educational resource and advocacy group representing third-party medical billers and billing professionals, announced today that it presented member survey findings to executives of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) at Institute 2009 in San Diego, Calif. in June. Presenting on behalf of HBMA member organizations, representatives discussed ways in which billing services and commercial payers can better work together to manage claims processing and related transactions more efficiently and effectively.

“HBMA is committed to its ongoing outreach efforts and is focused on securing cost reductions that will ultimately benefit all stakeholders, including payers, providers and patients,” says Brad Lund, HBMA executive director. “As part of HBMA’s efforts, we will also be reaching out to individual health insurance companies to identify practical administrative simplification solutions.”

In addition to identifying opportunities to drive down costs and produce administrative efficiencies, the following survey highlights were presented:

* 46 percent of member firms reported that fewer than 60 percent of insurance companies transmit denial information using HIPAA-standard codes
* 68 percent of member firms reported that 60 percent or more of all denials are ultimately paid by the insurance company after appeal or intervention
* 69 percent of member firms reported that cumbersome protocol for filing appeals is the most challenging aspect of handling claim denials
More Here Medical Billing Outsourcing