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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend April 26, 2006 Doctors extend contract with insurer By Bill Kettler Mail Tribune Jackson County physicians have decided to extend their contract with one of the largest health care insurers in the United States, but they want UnitedHealthcare to do a better job when it comes to customer service. The decision means there will be no change in health insurance coverage for several thousand Jackson County residents who have health insurance through United, a Minnesota-based company that insures more than 20 million people across the United States. Payment rates were never an issue in the contract discussions, said Mike Bond, chief executive of PrimeCare, Jackson County's independent practice organization. PrimeCare negotiates contracts for physicians with insurance companies. Bond said customer service and unpaid claims were the issues that prompted local physicians to consider severing their relationship with United, Bond said. He noted that PrimeCare has had 76 unresolved claim disputes with United, and just 11 unresolved disputes with its 21 other insurance plans. The contract was extended through Dec. 31, Bond said. "If we do not see improvement in customer service, that will be the end of it." Advertisement The extension ended speculation that began in March when some local physicians advised their patients that they would no longer accept United insurance after April 30, the expiration date of the previous agreement. "I'm hoping everybody will be happy for now," said Christy Seigfried, human resources manager for the Maranatha nut butters subsidiary of nSpired Natural Foods. She said United was the only health insurance option available when California-based nSpired acquired Maranatha, which is in Ashland. Seigfried said she had several frustrating experiences trying to follow up on claims disputes with United. "Whenever an employee came in with a problem I'd call the 1-800 number, but I was constantly being routed through the corporate organization." She recalled one incident in which she had spent "the entire morning on the phone looking for the right person to talk to." United uses automated claims processing software to handle about 83 percent of its claims, said Tyler Mason, a company spokesman in Southern California. In most cases, claims are filed electronically, reviewed by the computer, and a check is issued without the claim ever being reviewed by a human. Mason said local claims filed with United "are generally being carried out in a manner that's consistent with data sets across the company." Bond, of PrimeCare, said automated processing systems sometimes can't handle complex claims without a human to review them and make the proper determination. "A highly automated system will make errors in claims payment. Our practices are used to reaching a human being to resolve the errors when they occur, and that was not happening with United." Bond said United has agreed to provide a customer service representative to resolve issues when they occur. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s