From the blog, I was in the middle of creating a post when I received a computer phone call from Anthem Blue Cross, asking if this was me, and when I had my last mammogram, pap smear, and colon cancer screening...is this a bit much!! As I stated, they had my cell phone and couldn't even wait until after working hours! I think marketing here has gone a bit overboard! Which one will call next and was this an automated process to get information?
Interestingly enough, while I was watching this video, my cell phone rings from Anthem Blue Cross with an automated questioning system about taking care of my health, somewhat of a parody as I was reviewing the video for the blog. I went through the system and first off I do have to make one comment, I found it to be an interruption of my time. Luckily I was in my office updating the blog, but what if I was in a meeting with a client? Is this appropriate to blast off computerized calls to cell phones? Are we to the point when insurance companies are going to dictate to me as to what time of the day I need to address my healthcare?
Why do the companies need to impose on my time, especially during the fact that this was done during business hours, can't they wait until after 5 or to in the evening to do this? Yes I do want to take care of myself and can improve my own health issues, but why do I need a call in the middle of the day, again from a computer to advertise this? I am sure there are others out there today who received the same notifications as the names were queried from their data base and selected for the solicitation.
Now back to the premise of this video, one startling fact brought about the bankruptcy situation here is that 75% of the people in this study HAD HEALTH INSURANCE, so the offer of protection is only partial and even with insurance, if you get sick, you are still left out there hanging. The automated phone call today was not in the interest of better health, but rather more of a osmosis type of marketing technique. Watch the video as there are some very good points made here.
The second video is a clip from Robodoc, a comedy movie, but it makes a point here on how healthcare is viewed and sometimes administrated today. The administrator here certainly feels better about his decision and this is a dramatization to a degree. We all need to feel good about decisions we make and today it is more challenging than ever, and stop and think, it the quest for saving money worth a decision making profile shown here? And do we need those marketing calls from the insurers on our cell phones as mentioned above? How far will all of this go? Perhaps this is another issue for the State of California to look in to, how healthcare insurers market and when.
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Why do the companies need to impose on my time
That is because all insurances have to reach the HEDIS scores to stay in business. If they do not show that their ABC % of members are meeting mam/pap/colonoscope etc they get lower scores and they will have hard time with purchasers/employers to sell their product. Higher the score, better their marketing with buyers of insurance, commanding higher premiums.
But they will show scant disrespect to the time of their subscribers (patients), just like they do to their providers (doctors) by rejecting the claims.
Oh I agree with you here totally, but the odd thing is that I have not had Blue Cross coverage for over 2 years, digging in th coffers I would say:)
Watch the video on the blog too if you get a chance, 75% of the folks filing bankruptcy HAD insurance, and it's basically saying it's a cushion, but don't count on it, and the same somewhat holds true from the physician's side of things to a degree, will they cover and will you get paid. We have some of the worst contracts here in California too and it's getting worse. My own dilemma this week is to try to not do business with hospitals getting written up in the LA Times for fines
Even Hoag, who for some reason everyone in Orange County thinks walks on water was fined for leaving a surgical instrument inside a patient. The insurance companies are getting more and more difficult for both patients and physicians to deal with.
I have not had Blue Cross coverage for over 2 years
We see that all the time with all insurances. Old database, missing database, wrong database, you name it,- it happens, just like those airline industry, banking industry and every industry where computers are used and where computers are not used.
We just had issue with local insurance where THEY sent a check that belonged to us to another doc with same name and that doc cashed it. We had to fill out a forgery form to this insurance as now they seem to bent on prosecuting that doc for cashing a wrong check when there a lot of easier ways of asking them to refund. It was the insurance who mailed to wrong address, yet they take a circuitious route to fix the problem. No cure for THEIR ailments here.
I can't do anything about insurance company's phone solicitations but we do have a solution that will motivate the carriers to call you to resolve pending insurance claims. Most practices are concerned about delinquent patient balances but accept slow paying insurance carriers as a "just the way it is" when you do have a solution at your disposal.
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1. Generate Direct Communication from the Carriers to your office ....reducing the amount of time your staff spends on hold with the carriers. Reducing staff time on the phone with carrier equals saving money!
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3. Provide a user friendly on-line client portal (OCP) that eases account submissions and allow you to report payments that come directly to your office in order to stop or suspend collection activity. We also provide state of the art reports that can be downloaded to excel or emailed to business owners who want regular reports on collection status, progress, costs, and recovery rates.
We don't have a cure but we do provide a solution.
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