Cigna is the easiest U.S. health insurer for physicians to do business with partly because it has expanded its electronic services, according to an athenahealth analysis on medical claims, processing and administrative efficiency released Wednesday, Reuters reports.
The analysis was completed using a computer-based payment system that compared seven measures, including the length of time between medical service and payment, how often a claim is initially resolved and how frequently a claim is denied.
Cigna during the past two years has expanded its electronic services and now offers a program where physicians can submit claims directly to Cigna instead of through an intermediary, Karen Ferrell, senior vice president of national contracting and medical management, said.
Jonathan Bush -- CEO of athenahealth, a company which offers back-office services for physicians -- said other insurers also have boosted their rankings and improved efficiency through the construction and improvement of electronic systems.
The other insurers that were ranked in the top five were:
- Aetna;
- The federal government's Medicare Part B program;
- Humana; and
- UnitedHealth Group (Krauskopf, Reuters, 5/2).