The average physician spends 43 minutes per work day -- more than three hours a week -- dealing with health plan administrative requirements," and "primary care physicians spent significantly more time, on average, dealing with insurers than do specialists and surgeons."

The Medical Group Management Association made recommendations to address the problem, including the adoption of "universal, standardized, swipe-card identification for patients," regulations for electronic claims payment attachments be issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, and said HHS should "issue a proposed rule for the national health plan identifier."

However, Ted Epperly, MD, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, "said he doesn't believe insurers will make changes and standardizations voluntarily, because" they make interest off the premiums while processing claims.