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

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A report released Tuesdayu by the health insurance gianf claims the system couldsave $332 billion over the next 10 yearsx if health providers update their Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth estimated 50 percent of the savings wouldd go to hospitals and doctors, 20 perceng to the federal government’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, and 30 percenyt to commercial payers. But UnitedHealth believes the governmentr could institute policies to take a large share to help pay forreforkm programs. “The resulting administrative savings coul d help offset the subsidy cost of health care expansion for thenewlhy insured,” the report said.
UnitedHealth said it drew on its expertisw as one of the largest health technology companies in the United States to formulatewthe estimate. The number only includes administrative and doesn’t venture into how much could be saved in reducinvg wasteful medical costs — what many experts have pointec to as a culprit for driving up costs. Much of the $332 billiohn in savings would come from getting rid of paped records of all typesat providers. For UnitedHealth estimates morethan $108 billion would be savedr in printing, postage and administrative costse by shifting payments and remittances to an electronic format.
Nationa l information systems also could save UnitedHealth estimates morethan $47 billion couldr be saved if their was a national systejm to monitor and flag questionable healt claims. This is the second major report UnitedHealtnh has issued amid the healthreform debate, which President Barack Obama considers one of his top The health insurance gianrt said last month that the federap government could save $540 billion in Medicare costzs over the next 10 yearse with its own plans.