Massachusetts Health Insurers Refuse to Answer State Regulators’ Questions About Practices

Executives from Massachusetts’ leading health insurers, including Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan, refused to answer questions by state regulators about their reimbursement practices, according to a report by the Boston Globe.

Advertisement

The regulators were attempting to investigate why some health providers in the state are reimbursed at rates up to three times the rates other providers receive. The investigation is part of a month-long query by the state into the disproportionately high premiums small employers in the state pay for health insurance, according to the report.

The insurance executives claimed that confidentiality agreements with providers prohibited them from publicly discussing reimbursement rates or which providers receive the highest fees.

However, a Harvard Pilgrim executive did admit that higher reimbursements are typically paid to large networks of physicians as compared to smaller groups. Differences on average are 45 percent and can reach as much as 300 percent for reimbursements to providers for the same service, according to the report.

Read the Boston Globe’s report on Massachusetts health insurers.

At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.

Advertisement

Next Up in Uncategorized

Advertisement

Comments are closed.