Article featured in USA Today highlights how policies from Anthem, other commercial health insurers threaten patient care

Anthem, the country’s second-biggest health insurance company, is behind on billions of dollars in payments owed to hospitals and doctors because of onerous new reimbursement rules, computer problems and mishandled claims, says a Kaiser Health News article that is spotlighted in USA Today. The article features comments from AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack and AHA Group Vice President of Policy Molly Smith. 

Last month, AHA, in a letter to Anthem’s CEO, urged the organization to reverse policies that challenge hospitals’ and health systems’ ability to care for patients. These include frequent changes to enrollees’ coverage, delays in patient care resulting from excessive prior authorization requirements and growing failure to pay claims in a timely manner.   

“Patients are facing greater hurdles to accessing care; clinicians are burning out on unnecessary administrative tasks; and the system is straining to finance the personnel and supplies needed to meet the demands of a surging fourth COVID-19 wave,” the AHA wrote Sept. 9.