Congressional investigators have discovered that large health insurers in every region of the country are relying on faulty databases to underpay millions of valid insurance claims. In a report released Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee said insurance companies nationwide have failed to provide consumers with accurate or understandable information about how they calculate ‘reasonable or ‘customary charges for out-of-network care. Insurers also signed contracts prohibiting them from disclosing information about the databases to consumers or doctors, the report said. The flawed databases are owned by Ingenix Inc., a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group Inc. UnitedHealth recently settled with the New York attorney general’s office to resolve charges that Ingenix drew up billing rates that underpaid hospitals and doctors for out-of-network care. Patients had to make up the difference. It is unclear how much they have overpaid over the years. An Ingenix spokeswoman said the company stands by the integrity of its databases. The two databases in question by the committee represent less than 2% of Ingenix’s overall business. Ingenix also said it doesn’t set actual rates for health procedures. Other insurers that purchased Ingenix data in New York-Aetna Inc., CIGNA Corp., and Wellpoint Inc. among […]