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Healthcare

MGMA: Group Practice Professionals’ Satisfaction Highly Linked to Payer’s Fees, Promptness of Payment

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The Medical Group Management Association has released the results of its fifth annual poll to determine group practice professionals’ perspectives on payer performance in 2012. The study focuses on seven large payers: Aetna, Anthem, CIGNA, Coventry, Humana, Medicare Part B, and United Healthcare.
Nearly 800 practice professionals were surveyed regarding several tiers of the payer environment, including payer communications, provider credentialing, contracting, payment policies, system transparency, overall satisfaction, and willingness to adopt updated payment models. 

Results of the poll revealed a strong correlation between overall satisfaction with payers’ accuracy, consistency of responses to questions, and the amount of time they take to respond to questions, as well as promptness of claims payment and the claims appeals process. Practice professional responses indicated the highest satisfaction with disclosure of payers’ fee schedules and payment promptness.

Results also indicated a wide variation in performance among plans on a variety of questions regarding administrative transactions. Regarding feedback about partnerships with payers on unprecedented and improved payment models, members reported that payers were not offering many options that might be favorable for practices, including accountable care, shared savings, medical homes, and payment bundling.

Medicare B ranked highest in several categories, including overall performance, responsiveness to questions, willingness to disclose information, and claims-appeals processes. Medicare B ranked last, however, in the provider-credentialing category.

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