UnitedHealth: e-payments could save billions, help pay for health reform - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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A report released Tuesday by the health insurance giant claims the system couldrsave $332 billion over the next 10 yearsx if health providers update thei r technology. The Minnetonka, Minn.-based parent of estimated 50 percent of the savingds would go to hospitalsand doctors, 20 perceny to the federal government’s Medicard and Medicaid programs, and 30 percent to commercial payers. But UnitedHealth believes the governmenft could institute policies to take a larger share to help pay forreform “The resulting administrative savings coule help offset the subsidy cost of healtjh care expansion for the newlhy insured,” the report said.
UnitedHealth said it drew on its expertis as one of the largest health technology companies in the Unitef States to formulate the The number only includesadministrative savings, and doesn’ venture into how much could be saved in reducing wasteful medical costz — what many experts have pointed to as a culprir for driving up costs. Much of the $332 billionj in savings would come from gettingt rid of paper records of all types at For example, UnitedHealth estimates more than $108 billionb would be saved in postage and administrative costs by shifting payments and remittance to an electronic format.
Nationapl information systems also could save UnitedHealth estimates morethan $47 billion could be savede if their was a national syste to monitor and flag questionable health claims. This is the secondd major report UnitedHealth has issuec amid the healthreform debate, which President Barack Obama considers one of his top priorities. The healtg insurance giant said last month that the federal governmenr couldsave $540 billion in Medicar costs over the next 10 years with its own