What Goes Around… –
March 1, 2019 – The insurance giant is accused of sending more than $1.3 million in payments to patients — money, the suit claims, that is owed to the facilities that treated people with addiction and mental health problems.
The suit by Sovereign Health highlights part of an ongoing war between insurance companies and providers over payment and billing issues, one that puts the patient right in the middle of the fighting by sending payments straight to patients after they seek out-of-network care. Patients are supposed to send the money on to providers. Many times, they do; other times, they don’t.
Critics say it’s a revenge tactic against doctors, hospitals, treatment facilities and other medical providers that don’t agree to insurance companies’ demands to be “in-network,” by making them chase down money. The insurance industry disputes any such characterization.
