In the June 2009 Connections Newsletter, Humana writes:
“When it comes to helping self-funded accounts reduce their total medical expenses, Humana offers significant savings through out network discounts. Across the United States, we’re able to negotiate substantial discounts from hospitals, doctors, and other providers. As a result, ASO’s may realize greater savings by using Humana’s nationwide network that includes more than 350,000 providers.
In our major regions, Humana’s network offers discounts that average up to 20 percentage points greater than rental networks can offer – and is competitive with or better than other national carrier’s networks. In fact, if your clients are currently using leading national rental networks in these areas, they’ll likely improve their discounts by switching to Humana.
Editor’s Note: Humana is going out on a limb making these statements. How do they know that their discounts can be 20 percent or better than the rental networks? Have they compared contracts? All 350,000 of them? Now let’s see, Blue Cross touts that their PPO discounts are at least 20% better than anyone’s out there, now Humana says they are beating the rental PPO networks by as much as 20%, so if all of this is true, than Blue Cross has at least a 40% better discount than the rental networks (BCBS beats Humana by 20% and Humana beats the rental networks by 20%, so 20% + 20% = 40% better discounts). Of course, a discount off what number” Are billed charges with Humana higher than with rental networks? Or vice versa? Do providers have multiple billed charge masters? Will hospitals admit to that? What about doctors, do all doctors have the same contract? Is Dr. Jones contract with Humana better than Dr. Smith’s contract with Humana?
PPO Discount Games continue to be played towards ignorant consumers of care.
Comments are closed.