Why do insurance companies take so long to pay?

Not all insurance companies take so long. One thing that it could be is the majority of the carriers send out a letter to the insureds asking if they have any other coverage. Most people just ignore these ... I use to. So the claim is just put in a "holding" spot until they find out if you have other coverage or if they are your only coverage. Usually from that point things should move quickly unless the doctor has not coded it properly - it's done with CPT codes. Even the carriers overlook things. If your insurance company has any online services - sign up for that so you be can go online and update the majority of your information before anything or claim ever has to be paid.