WellPoint is the country's worst-ranked health plan say hospital CEOs, CFOs and payor relations executives who negotiate managed care contracts with national health insurance companies according to a survey by ReviveHealth.Respondents represent 35 percent of hospitals in the U.S., up from 28% who participated last year.
The survey also shows independent, nonprofit BlueCross plans continue to rank the worst in the country on payment rates for health care delivered.
"WellPoint has earned its bottom spot in the 2012 survey this year through aggressive behavior with hospitals all over the country. The dominant market share of WellPoint and nonprofit BlueCross plans has created a huge problem for hospitals struggling to survive in this environment, since they use that market share to enforce low payment rates and onerous contract language," ReviveHealth president and founder Brendon Edwards said.
Hospitals are increasingly skeptical of the risks and benefits of health reform for their industry. Seventy-six percent of respondents feel reforms will decrease their private payor rates, a 4 percent jump from last year.
There are an increasing number of public contract battles between payors and hospitals with WellPoint involved in five times the number of disputes than all other Wall Street payors combined over the past year.
Hospital executives are more concerned than ever with protection from denials and complex contract language that reduces payment yields well below what's expected after negotiations are completed.
Complete survey results are available here.
ReviveHealth is a strategic communications firm specializing in health services, health technology, and health living.
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