United HealthCare fined for prompt pay violation

ATLANTA - United HealthCare of Georgia Inc. was fined $150,000 Wednesday for violating Georgia&#39;s prompt pay law the third HMO fined this year for slow reimbursements. <br> <br> Georgia law requires health insurers to pay doctors and consumers within 15 working days or notify them why the claim can&#39;t be paid. <br> <br> There have been two other HMOs fined this year: Humana Employers Health Care of Georgia was fined $400,000 in January the largest fine ever against an HMO in Georgia and One Health Plan was fined $200,000 in March. <br> <br> In 2000 and 2001, a dozen health insurers were fined a total of $1 million, according to state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine. <br> <br> Oxendine&#39;s office has examined claims data every quarter since September 1999. Since then, no HMO has been in 100 percent compliance with the law. <br> <br> ``We&#39;ve seen some improvement since I started the initial round of examinations in 1999,&#39;&#39; Oxendine said. ``I expect that improvement to continue.&#39;&#39;