Tags: fine | Georgia | late payments | United Healthcare

The Georgia Department of Insurance has fined United Healthcare Insurance Co. $750,000 for failure to pay claims within 15 days of receipt as is required by Georgia law, according to a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The fine resulted from an audit of United claims during the last three months of 2008, which found that more than 17 percent of claims were paid late. These late claims are estimated to total more than $20 million, according to the report.

United Healthcare agreed to a consent order, waiving its right to a hearing. The company says that currently less than 3 percent of claims in Georgia are paid late, according to the report.

The Department of Insurance is currently reviewing claims and payments for other insurers and expects to levy more fines, according to the report.

Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's report on the United Healthcare fine for late payments. Comments