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Ingenix Database Fiasco Spurs Legislation

April 14th, 2009

In light of the Ingenix Usual and Customary Database debacle, legislators are considering whether increased federal oversight of insurers is needed. The House voted 422-3 on March 31 to approve a bill (HR 1253) that would require insurers to provide potential customers with a written explanation of treatment limits and list conditions that are not covered along with other restrictions of the plan. Senate passage is pending. (Medical News Today, April 2)

5 Responses to “Ingenix Database Fiasco Spurs Legislation”

  1. Babs Decatur Says:
    April 15th, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    Why shouldn’t they have to provide this information. Physicians are in the business to treat sick patients and don’t question insurance restrictions when formulating a treatment plan. The reason healthcare is so expensive is because the insurers are making money, not providers.

  2. RAP Says:
    April 17th, 2009 at 6:19 pm

    Don’t put the blame entirely on insurers; Physicians also chase after the buck. What I haven’t seen is any adversarial audit of their practices to see what their true out of pocket costs are and what their profit markups are. I’ve never seen any published prevailing wage data for physicians, nor any publication that states what their markup is for costs, which is probably several hundred percent just for profit; for some reason they think they are better than other trades like carpenters, plumbers, masons, etc. and thus exempt from such transparency.

  3. Kevin W. Says:
    April 17th, 2009 at 7:28 pm

    Increased oversight of the insurers is needed.

    The health insurance companies have played a major role in our current healthcare crisis. They make huge profits and their CEOs make millions, while the rest of us are denied care.

    ANNUAL COMPENSATION OF HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY EXECUTIVES (2006 and 2007 figures):

    • Ronald A. Williams, Chair/ CEO, Aetna Inc., $23,045,834
    • H. Edward Hanway, Chair/ CEO, Cigna Corp, $30.16 million
    • David B. Snow, Jr, Chair/ CEO, Medco Health, $21.76 million
    • Michael B. MCallister, CEO, Humana Inc, $20.06 million
    • Stephen J. Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth Group, $13,164,529
    • Angela F. Braly, President/ CEO, Wellpoint, $9,094,771
    • Dale B. Wolf, CEO, Coventry Health Care, $20.86 million
    • Jay M. Gellert, President/ CEO, Health Net, $16.65 million
    • William C. Van Faasen, Chairman, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, $3 million plus $16.4 million in retirement benefits
    • Charlie Baker, President/ CEO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, $1.5 million
    • James Roosevelt, Jr., CEO, Tufts Associated Health Plans, $1.3 million
    • Cleve L. Killingsworth, President/CEO Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, $3.6 million
    • Raymond McCaskey, CEO, Health Care Service Corp (Blue Cross Blue Shield), $10.3 million
    • Daniel P. McCartney, CEO, Healthcare Services Group, Inc, $ 1,061,513
    • Daniel Loepp, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, $1,657,555
    • Todd S. Farha, CEO, WellCare Health Plans, $5,270,825
    • Michael F. Neidorff, CEO, Centene Corp, $8,750,751

    This executive compensation could be used to provide quality healthcare for thousands of Americans! GET THE INSURANCE COMPANIES OUT OF HEALTHCARE!

  4. Renae Says:
    April 24th, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    This is absoultely totaly absurd that these people make this kind of money. Healthcare providers are struggling just to do the right thing for their patients. They don’t mark up their services — they are paid by a provider fee schedule. Part of the compensation of these executives could go to insure people who can’t afford health insurance. Boy, is our country upside down!!

  5. Pat Says:
    August 19th, 2009 at 10:11 am

    I agree with Renae. If anyone deserves a bonus it’s the people who pay the premiums. We’re obviously paying too much because if we weren’t there wouldn’t be any bonuses for anyone. I take offense at the insurance companies rewarding these so-called executives for devising schemes to rip off the public.

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