Revive Public Relations
March 31, 2010

Revive, a national public relations firm specializing in Health Care and Healthy Living, today released the results of its fourth annual National Payor Survey of hospital executives. The only one of its kind in the country, the survey targeted hospital leaders in the industry who negotiate managed care contracts with national health insurance companies – CEOs, CFOs, and directors of managed care.

The survey gathered data on hospital leaders’ opinions on seven of the largest health insurers or insurer groups in the nation: United HealthCare, CIGNA, Aetna, Coventry, Humana, Wellpoint/Anthem, and the local state or regional independent non-profit Blue Cross or Blue Shield plan.

While all respondents tend to regard insurance companies as equally negative when it comes to business practices, each year’s survey has revealed United HealthCare as the clear outlier. For four years, United HealthCare has been consistently ranked as the worst among respondents in all survey categories and a clear trend has emerged. This year, WellPoint/Anthem saw declines that brought the company down to levels near United HealthCare.

http://www.revivepublicrelations.com/downloads/2010PayorSurveyPressRelease.pdf

Words hospitals used to describe United HealthCare:

17% – Bad/Negative
15% – Inflexible/Rigid/Unreasonable
13% – Challenging
13% – Deceptive/Dishonest/Unethical
8% – Aggressive/Bully
and
11% – Good/Fine
2% – Prompt
2% – Convenient/Easy
1% – Professional

(Similar terms were used to describe other insurers, including WellPoint/Anthem)

http://www.revivepublicrelations.com/downloads/2010PayorSurveyResults.pdf

Comment: 

By Don McCanne, MD

From the perspective of hospital executives, the two worst insurers in the nation happen to be the largest – United HealthCare and WellPoint/Anthem, even though “all respondents tend to regard insurance companies as equally negative when it comes to business practices.”

And now we have reform that not only locks us into this industry, but expands it further!? It can be changed.

Fourth Annual National Survey of Hospital Executives Reveals “Best” and “Worst” Among the Nation’s Insurance companies

Revive Public Relations
March 31, 2010
Revive, a national public relations firm specializing in Health Care and Healthy Living, today released the results of its fourth annual National Payor Survey of hospital executives. The only one of its kind in the country, the survey targeted hospital leaders in the industry who negotiate managed care contracts with national health insurance companies – CEOs, CFOs, and directors of managed care.
The survey gathered data on hospital leaders’ opinions on seven of the largest health insurers or insurer groups in the nation: United HealthCare, CIGNA, Aetna, Coventry, Humana, Wellpoint/Anthem, and the local state or regional independent non-profit Blue Cross or Blue Shield plan.
While all respondents tend to regard insurance companies as equally negative when it comes to business practices, each year’s survey has revealed United HealthCare as the clear outlier. For four years, United HealthCare has been consistently ranked as the worst among respondents in all survey categories and a clear trend has emerged. This year, WellPoint/Anthem saw declines that brought the company down to levels near United HealthCare.
http://www.revivepublicrelations.com/downloads/2010PayorSurveyPressRelease.pdf
Words hospitals used to describe United HealthCare:
17% – Bad/Negative
15% – Inflexible/Rigid/Unreasonable
13% – Challenging
13% – Deceptive/Dishonest/Unethical
8% – Aggressive/Bully
and
11% – Good/Fine
2% – Prompt
2% – Convenient/Easy
1% – Professional
(Similar terms were used to describe other insurers, including WellPoint/Anthem)
http://www.revivepublicrelations.com/downloads/2010PayorSurveyResults.pdf

From the perspective of hospital executives, the two worst insurers in the nation happen to be the largest – United HealthCare and WellPoint/Anthem, even though “all respondents tend to regard insurance companies as equally negative when it comes to business practices.”
And now we have reform that not only locks us into this industry, but expands it further!? It can be changed.