United panned in survey of hospital execs

Hospital leaders call the company the most difficult to deal with, but United says the survey is questionable.

By Emily Berry, AMNews staff. April 7, 2008.

A survey shows hospital executives nationwide have some negative opinions of health plans, but no health plan is more roundly disliked than UnitedHealthcare.

The survey, released in March by California-based Davies Public Affairs, finds 91% of hospital executives have a somewhat or very unfavorable opinion of United. The company is the most ubiquitous -- it's contracted with 96% of the hospitals represented in the survey -- but its negative rating is nearly twice the 47% of Cigna, which was represented in 93% of the surveyed hospitals.

United also was No. 1 -- at 64% -- in being rated the most difficult company with which to negotiate. United was rated worst in timeliness of payment, reimbursement rates, honesty and candor in negotiations, denial of claims, dealings with hospitals and dealings with physicians.

"I think what the survey results show very clearly is that the reason United was rated very poorly was because they behave in a way that deserves to be rated poorly," said Brandon Edwards, who manages Davies' health care segment.

United spokesman Tyler Mason said the Davies firm used questionable methods in collecting its data, and said the survey appeared to be motivated to single out United specifically. Davies' client list includes hospitals. This "is a poorly disguised PR stunt conducted by a PR firm with a questionable reputation," Mason said in an e-mailed statement.