Massachusetts insurers ranked on payment records

The Massachusetts government Medicaid plan known as MassHealth, which covers low-income patients who can't afford insurance, was the slowest payer of health claims to Massachusetts doctors last year, averaging 56 days, and denied the highest share of claims, 23.8%, according to rankings. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts took an average of 22.8 days to pay physicians who submitted claims last year, the fastest rate among Massachusetts health insurers. Tufts Health Plan, meanwhile, denied 4.9% of its claims, the smallest share among the five large payers billed by Bay State medical providers. The rankings were prepared by Athenahealth Inc., a company that helps doctors handle billing and records electronically.