Insurers don’t just profit when patients get sicker—they count on it.
They push glossy wellness campaigns, promising that screenings and checkups will keep patients healthy. But when it’s time to actually cover care, they stall, block, and deny. Their profits don’t come from prevention. They come from delays, denials, and red tape that keep money in their pockets and patients out of treatment.
Over 62% of patients had insurance-driven treatment delays between 2021 and 2023. Nearly half of them (43%) saw their health worsen as a result. Delays don’t just frustrate patients; they turn manageable conditions into life-threatening ones.
As if harming patients weren’t enough—they’re financially starving hospitals, too. An American Hospital Association survey found that half of hospitals and health systems are waiting on more than $100 million in unpaid claims, most withheld for over six months. That’s not an oversight, it’s a deliberate strategy to squeeze providers while insurers line their pockets.
Hospitals must fight back. Strong contracts are the only way to prevent lowball reimbursements, endless denials, and months of unpaid claims. Insurers won’t negotiate fairly unless hospitals force them to.
Here’s What Has to Change:
- Call Out Insurers Publicly – Expose the real impact of delays and denials. The more pressure insurers feel, the harder it becomes for them to justify underpaying providers.
- Use Data as Leverage – Insurers count on hospitals being too drained to fight back.
Data-driven strategies force insurers to justify their low payments and stall tactics.
- Be Willing to Walk Away – If a contract leaves hospitals footing the bill, it’s not sustainable. Termination must be on the table when insurers refuse to pay their fair share.
Hospitals can’t afford to wait for insurers to “do the right thing”. Without strong contracts and aggressive negotiations, insurers will keep hoarding profits while hospitals and patients pay the price.
It’s time to change the game. If hospitals don’t fight back, insurers win—and when insurers win, patients lose.
