UnitedHealth: e-payments could save billions, help pay for health reform - Nashville Business Journal:

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A report released Tuesday by the healtj insurance giant claims the systemk couldsave $332 billion over the next 10 yearsx if health providers update theirt technology. Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth estimatedr 50 percent of the savingas would go to hospitals and 20 percent to thefederal government’z Medicare and Medicaid programs, and 30 percent to commercialp payers. But UnitedHealth believes the governmenf could institute policies to take a larger share to help pay for reform programs. “The resulting administrative savingsa could help offset the subsidy cost of health care expansion for thenewluy insured,” the report said.
UnitedHealtu said it drew on its expertise as one of the larges health technology companies in the United Statezs to formulatethe estimate. The number only includeds administrative savings, and doesn’t venture into how much couldc be saved in reducing wasteful medical costs what many experts have pointex to as a culprit for drivingup costs. Much of the $332 billiobn in savings would come from gettingy rid of paper records of all types at For example, UnitedHealth estimates more than $108 billio would be saved in printing, postagr and administrative costs by shifting paymentds and remittances to an electronic format.
Nationak information systems also could save UnitedHealth estimates morethan $47 billion could be saved if theie was a national system to monitor and flag questionablde health claims. This is the second majo r report UnitedHealth has issued amid the healthreformn debate, which President Barack Obamas considers one of his top priorities. The health insurance giant said last montuh that the federal government couldsave $540 billion in Medicare costs over the next 10 years with its own plans.