Updated at 11 a.m. with comments from Cigna.
It is a truth universally acknowledged聽that health insurance companies can be a pain for patients.聽What may be a surprise聽is that hospitals often complain,聽too. For the same reasons:聽Denied claims. Low reimbursement. Late reimbursement. Thickets of red tape.
Insurers聽called the report聽unscientific and biased, pointing to the agency鈥檚 interest in聽cultivating hospital clients.
But not all insurers. Here鈥檚 Cigna spokesman Joe Mondy, via email: 鈥淪orry to see some attacking the survey 鈥� 聽Cigna did quite well, so maybe it鈥檚 easy to say 鈥斅燽ut we view data from this and other 鈥榬eport cards鈥� (athenahealth, AMA) as very useful in identifying opportunities to improve聽and gaug[e] the impact of past improvement initiatives.鈥�
( is Revive鈥檚 press release.) Edwards says the research was聽commissioned by Revive but performed by聽a third party 鈥� 鈥� which contacted every hospital system in the country and received responses from more than 400.
WellPoint ranked last in overall favorability聽and in the 鈥渄ealing with hospitals鈥� category. Cigna was No. 1 in overall favorability while Aetna scored best in聽the dealing with hospitals category.
鈥淲e believe the Revive survey is inherently flawed and without merit,鈥� said WellPoint spokeswoman Jill Becher. 鈥淲e have a long history of working with providers to improve the accessibility, affordability and effectiveness of quality health care.鈥�
Rising from the basement in previous surveys was UnitedHealthcare, the country鈥檚 biggest private health insurer. United scored sixth out of seven in the dealing with hospitals category and fifth out of seven in overall favorability.
鈥淯nited certainly hasn鈥檛 moved to a point where people say, 鈥業t鈥檚 a great health plan for me to deal with,鈥� but it鈥檚 only fair to acknowledge that they鈥檝e made some pretty big strides in improving their reputation in the provider community,鈥� Edwards said.
Independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans ranked worst in hospital payment聽rates for the second year in a row.
Dr. Allan M. Korn, chief medical officer for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, defended the Blues鈥� relations with hospitals and doctors.
鈥淩evive is a PR firm that represents medical providers in payment negotiations with insurers and often creates a contentious public and media atmosphere around these talks,鈥� he said through a spokeswoman.聽鈥淭his聽survey is merely another tactic aimed [at] boosting payments for Revive鈥檚 clients without regard to the impact this has on millions of Americans who want and deserve affordable聽health care.鈥�