Every major health insurance company in the country relies upon its network of doctors and hospitals to sustain itself.  These same companies rely upon premium payments from employers. Without purchasers and providers these companies can’t exist. Because of the current pandemic, most of these providers and many purchasers are at financial risk.  They don’t have the money to sustain their operations. It’s time that wealthy health care payers help their contracted providers by advancing them cash to sustain their operations. These advances are critical to the survival of the existing provider infrastructure.  

For example, on December 31, 2019 UnitedHealth reported liquid cash on hand of $14.25 billion. Health payers also retain substantial claims reserves. Agents, brokers, consultants, employers and health vendors are called to arms. Please write to your local market payer Presidents and higher level payer executives and ask that they consider pre-paying providers for their services either via an estimation of prior payments or via a capitated methodology so that they are able to carry on their vital services. There is a critical need for this now.

Because of social distancing mandates, thousands of providers and their staffs have been furloughed. Payers should be encouraged to commit to fronting 90 days of estimated payments to providers to help providers stand up virtual technologies to service members. This would give members access to critical services during this epidemic including primary care, specialty care and pharmacy coordination. Without these resources, members will be forced to turn to overburdened hospitals, where they risk COVID-19 exposure.

Please commit to writing to payer market Presidents now and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Feel free to copy and paste any of the language included here. Providers and purchasers should be requesting this as well. Do it today. Let’s give our providers the resources to treat members remotely.