How reimbursement disputes hurt patients

In this case, an insurer’s delay in reimbursement leads to a patient being unable to receive his pain medication:

Managers of local physicians’ groups say billing disputes with insurance companies are common enough to have become accepted as part of doing business in the health care industry.

However, when it does happen, the patient often is the loser, such as cases like Whiley’s, in which the patient doesn’t get or is delayed in getting the care he or she needs, according to consumer advocates.