Insurers getting behind machine-readable ID cards

Last week, Humana and UnitedHealth Group threw their weight behind the concept of using machine-readable enrollee identification cards rather than than throwaway pieces of plastic. 

The concept has been a major focus of the Medical Group Management Association, whose Project SwipeIT campaign is dedicated to promoting this technology. MGMA estimates that using such cards could cut administration costs for medical practices and hospitals by $1 billion a year.

UnitedHealth is taking the more aggressive stance, announcing that it will issue almost 25 million machine-readable ID cards by the end of 2009. Humana, for its part, has announced that it supports the MGMA's campaign.

UnitedHealth's new cards include a machine-readable magnetic stripe that can immediately confirm a patient's benefit eligibility, access a patient's PHR and link up with real-time claim adjudication options. The cards will use WEDI standards to access these services.

To learn more about these initiatives:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece [1] (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
MGMA 2008: MGMA backs standardized patient insurance ID [2]
Smart card vendors pitch healthcare pilots [3]
Gates pitches smart card security benefits [4]
Cerner, partners offer HSA-driven payment card [5]