A new poll reveals that patients, nurses and doctors face problems stemming from health insurance policies and practices.
Private health insurer policies create barriers to care for patients, administrative burdens for nurses and doctors, and high medical costs, it said. investigation By Morning Consult of the American Hospital Association.
The survey includes a sample of 1,502 adults, 500 nurses and 500 doctors from December 2022 to April 2023.
More than three out of five patients (62%) said their insurance company had delayed treatment in the past two years, and 43% of them reported that their health worsened as a result.
When it comes to deciding what care to receive, patients overwhelmingly (83%) prefer the decision to be made by their healthcare provider rather than their insurance company.
Also, most nurses (84%) said health policy was delaying patient care, 74% undermining the quality of care, and 63% hindering patients from moving to appropriate care settings. said there is.
More than 80% of doctors surveyed said insurance companies influence their ability to practice.
In addition, 84% of doctors said their insurance company policies made it difficult for them to practice independently, and 56% of nurses said their job satisfaction had decreased due to insurance administrative requirements. reported.
“These studies confirm what we have been hearing for years: that certain insurer policies and practices are reducing access to care and providing care to already overwhelmed clinicians. is getting more difficult,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. Said in a press release. “Healthcare insurance should be a bridge to health care for patients, not a barrier to it. If policy makers are serious about expanding access and addressing the health workforce crisis, , we must hold insurers accountable for these harmful practices.”
another investigationA survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation also found that most insured adults experience problems using their insurance.
More than half (58%) of respondents reported having experienced insurance issues in the past 12 months, ranging from denied claims to pending pre-approvals.
Jay Asser is Associate Editor of HealthLeaders.
