An important part of your job as a medical provider is to stay informed on the insurance companies you work with day in and day out—and you can’t do that without access to quality information. We’re here to provide you with that valuable data, which will help you to make important decisions regarding your relationships with these insurers. To do so, we’ve asked 10 medical billers a series of questions about their experience with a variety of insurance companies. And one of the questions we asked was: Has an insurance company ever shocked you with how unfair they seemed? We then asked them to explain the situation.

Before you read on and delve into the results of this survey question, remember that these are the sole opinions of the 10 medical billers surveyed, which are based on their individual experiences. Just because they had unpleasant experiences with a given company doesn’t mean you will too. Furthermore, keep in mind that these insurers have an important job to do and strive to uphold their company’s rules and values.

Results
Four of the medical billers surveyed said they have not had any unfair experiences with an insurance company worth noting, while another said the very opposite—that all insurance companies are unfair from time to time. The remaining five respondents named five different insurance companies, which they found to be unfair: Beacon Health Options, Aetna, Magellan Health, Humana, and IBC. More information regarding their experiences with these insurers can be found below:

Beacon Health Options
One medical biller said that Beacon shocked them with how unfair they seemed, however they did not offer additional details. Beacon focuses their expertise in behavioral health and claims to be “guiding the industry and those they serve toward a brighter future.” Their mission is to help people live their best lives and support them along their journey.

Aetna
Another survey respondent said they’ve had unfair experiences with Aetna. This biller feels that Aetna isn’t very helpful or considerate. However, Aetna prides itself on providing individuals, employers, healthcare professionals, and others with reliable services, ever since 1853 when the company was founded in Hartford, CT. Furthermore, the team at Aetna values simplicity, focus, and connection.

Magellan Health
Another biller said that they’ve had problems with Magellan, in that they “typically won’t even try to understand an issue.” Magellan’s goal is to help its customers lead healthy, vibrant lives and plans to do this by abiding by their core values: integrity, accountability, collaboration, and caring. Furthermore, the team at Magellan is always pushing to develop new methods and challenge convention.

Humana
A fourth biller said Humana is often unfair and misquotes benefits. Furthermore, this survey respondent says, “you have to call to have claims reprocessed, and they never send them up to be processed.” Humana claims to go above and beyond just insurance—they set out to provide clients with a clear roadmap to “a healthier you,” by looking at each individual’s health and customizing a plan just for them.

IBC
The final survey respondent said IBC was unfair at times, as they “do not help with claims and they specifically direct you to use their web portal, which can be frustrating at times.” IBC Insurance Agency offers a multitude of health plans from individual health insurance to family health insurance, group health insurance, short-term plans, and more. Furthermore, they offer Medicare, long-term care, and disability policies.

In Conclusion
We asked 10 medical billers if they’ve ever had unfair experiences with insurance companies, and they gave us their due opinions on the matter for your review. However, it’s important to acknowledge that the above insurers aren’t here to give their own account of each issue. Remember that each insurance company has specific guidelines and values to abide by—and while they set out to fulfill each customer’s needs as effectively and efficiently as possible, mistakes happen. Keep this in mind while reviewing the above information and treat it as a small piece to a much larger puzzle.

We Surveyed Practicing Medical Billers,
and asked them about Top Insurance Companies
Read what we found out…

The Slowest Paying Insurance Companies
The Highest Paying Insurance Companies
Insurance Companies Most Likely to Deny a Claim
Insurance Companies Least Likely to Audit You
Insurance Companies That Seemed Unfair
The Best EAPs to Work With
Credentialing Reviews
I recently started the insurance credentialing process with Thriveworks, and must say it has been a pleasant experience so far. Great customer service, attentive staff, very prompt and responsive.”
Christa Surerus – Minnesota
Just writing a note to tell you that Laura Peak has been doing an outstanding job for my credentialing. She is kind, professional, prompt, and available. She has made building my new practice much easier- and is much appreciated!”
Dr. Nick Garg – Pennsylvania