Big Insurers worst at hitting deadlines
Big insurers worst at hitting
medical payment deadlines
THE insurers with the worst record
for paying medical reporting
organisations were named at last
week’s claims club meeting, with
many larger players comi ng out worse
than their niche counterparts.
Dr Harry Brunjes, the chairman
of Premier Medical Group, spoke
about the background of the
tariff system introduced in the
wake of the 2006 Court of Appea
judgment in the case of Wollard
v Fowler, which he described as
a “bunfight”.
Master Hurst clarified that the
fees charged for supplying medical
reports and records are reasonable
and proportionate, and that they can
be recovered in full as a disburseme::
from the defendant liability insure:
under CPR45.10 (2).
Dr Brunjes asked the audience
whether they thought everyone
was now paying the fees within the
90 days as insurers are supposed
to, whether the systems were
working effectively, or whether
some were better than others.
before admitting he had compiled
his own top ten based on his
i frm’s experiences.
At the top of the list was
Provident with 100% followed
by Fortis, where, he joked, “his
friend, [head of technical claims’
Pay day: Dr Brunjes shakes Nick y
Gunter’s hand as he outlines the
insurers’ track records. A
Claims Club members who were unable
to attend the meeting can listen to all the
fill presentations at the members-only websile i tnvw.postonline.co.uk/claimsclub
man” but paid on t:mc in 95′ of
all cases.
Moving on Equity was third,
Allianz fourth and HSBC fifth. Dr Brunjes:
Dr Brunjes continued by adding. compiled
“The bigger the insurer the worse unofficial list of
Nick Gunter. played the hard
late payers.
their pay schedule appears to be”.
LARGE PAY-OUTS LEFT MEDICAL INSURERS IN POOR HEALTH
Insurers are paying for the large fees paid to medical professionals in the past, and the more esoteric the claim the larger the cost to companies, it has been warned.
Dr Harry Brunjes, the chairman of Premier Medical Group, said: “If you need a neurologist in
Penzance, they will charge you an arm and a leg because they are likely to be the only one. It is the same if you need a neurophysicist in Cromer.
“These people have got leverage because of a generation of insurers who blindly paid out claims.” However, he added that in the future the insurance industry may be in a better position when
negotiating fees because of a proliferation of medical schools churning out more doctors than needed. ‘There are simply too many out there,’ he concluded.
Big insurers worst at hitting medical payment deadlines
Post Magazine – 14/02/08 - THE insurers with the worst record for paying medical reporting organisations were named at last week’s claims club meeting, with many larger players coming out worse than their niche counterparts.
Dr Harry Brunjes, the chairman of Premier Medical Group, spoke about the background of the tariff system introduced in the wake of the 2006 Court of Appeal judgment in the case of Wollard v Fowler, which he described as a “bunfight”.
Master Hurst clarified that the fees charged for supplying medical reports and records are reasonable and proportionate, and that they can be recovered in full as a disbursement from the defendant liability insurer under CPR45.10 (2).
Dr Brunjes asked the audience whether they thought everyone was now paying the fees within the 90 days as insurers are supposed to, whether the systems were working effectively, or whether some were better than others, before admitting he had compiled his own top ten based on his firm’s experiences.
At the top of the list was Provident with 100% followed by Fortis, where, he joked, “his friend, [head of technical claims ‘Nick Gunter, played the hard man” but paid on time in 95% of all cases.
Moving on Equity was third, Allianz fourth and HSBC fifth. Dr Brunjes continued by adding:
“The bigger the insurer the worse their pay schedule appears to be”.
