Excessive administrative complexity related to billing costs physicians practices nearly 12 percent of their net patient revenue, according to a study in Health Affairs.
A universal set of payment rules, claim forms and rules for submitting physicians' bills could save the U.S. healthcare system $7 billion a year, according to the study
The healthcare reform law directs health plans to adopt and implement uniform standards for the electronic exchange of health information by 2013, but it will still allow many differing requirements for information.
Read Health Affairs' report on the cost of physician practice billing.