Reimbursement

AMA and Georgia Physicians Sue Aetna

The American Medical Association and the Medical Association of Georgia filed a class-action lawsuit against Aetna U.S. Healthcare for failure to pay physician claims timely. The suit, filed in Fulton Superior Court, claims that Aetna routinely delays payment of claims in violation of a Georgia prompt payment law, and that delayed payments violate Aetna contracts with physicians and other providers. "It's time insurance companies honor their contracts and pay physicians in a timely manner so that patients can continue getting the care they deserve," said Donald Palmisano, an AMA Trustee. Paul Shanor, executive director of the Medical Association of Georgia, said some patients have lost their physicians because of Aetna's payment policies.

Source: AHA News Now, February 18, 2000