Some California doctors are spending 45 minutes on paperwork for every hour of care they provide, a new study claims.It says they are awash in a sea of paperwork from insurance companies, with every insurer having a different form, which must be filled out in its own way, which leads to errors and oversights that must be corrected
It adds up to roughly $9 billion a year just on billing and insurance processing, says the report from the California Public Interest Research Group.
The report — funded by the California Wellness Foundation – says a streamlined health care billing system, similar to those in other states, could cut costs and provide better service to patients.
“California’s families and businesses know that health care costs are high – and rising,” says Mike Russo, health care advocate with CALPIRG. “And one reason is at doctors’ offices, one day of patient visits can create paperwork as thick as a Dickens novel.”
