Medicare denies more claims than private insurance

Powerline has the story:

According to the American Medical Association's National Health Insurer Report Card for 2008, the government's health plan, Medicare, denied medical claims at nearly double the average for private insurers: Medicare denied 6.85% of claims. The highest private insurance denier was Aetna @ 6.8%, followed by Anthem Blue Cross @ 3.44, with an average denial rate of medical claims by private insurers of 3.88%

In its 2009 National Health Insurer Report Card, the AMA reports that Medicare denied only 4% of claims--a big improvement, but outpaced better still by the private insurers. The prior year's high private denier, Aetna, reduced denials to 1.81%--an astounding 75% improvement--with similar declines by all other private insurers, to average only 2.79%.