United Derided in Health Care Report

The latest National Payor Survey from DAVIES, one of the largest public affairs agencies in the country, wasn’t kind to UnitedHealthCare.

The survey measures attitudes of hospital executives toward health insurance companies, with 18 percent of the hospitals in the country responding.

Health insurance companies are typically rated poorly, but DAVIES noted two outliers in its third survey.

For the first time, a provider emerged as a preferred partner for business and for the third year in a row United stood out for its poor ranking.

Aetna received a 64 percent favorable rating compared to an average unfavorable rating for all companies of 34 percent. Cigna was rated as the second-best provider.

United received an 82 percent unfavorable rating, which DAVIES noted was actually an 8 percent improvement over the previous year.

DAVIES found that although United doesn’t stand out in any particular revenue or payment category, “dissatisfaction is driven by distrust, dishonesty, flawed business process, inadequate claims processing, claims denials and other business process problems.”

DAVIES chief operating officer Brandon Edwards noted United’s recent loss of clients Bank of America, American Airlines, 7-11 and other large employers.

Health care consultant Nathan Kaufman said after three years, United’s continued poor ranking reflected a “deliberate business strategy.” United’s worst ranking was in contract negotiations, with a 62 percent unfavorable opinion.

In 2007, United’s Arkansas premiums declined by 22.3 percent to $23.9 million, ranking it as the fifth-largest provider in the state. United is the provider for the Arkansas Business Publishing Group, including the Gray Matters LLC, the parent to the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal.