Roughly 3 billion claims per year are being processed on paper. And 90% of all claims are paid with paper checks.

That’s enough paper to choke any system.

Speaking at the World Health Care Innovation and Technology Congress, Bill Bartzak, the CEO of MD On-Line, said that most of the paper claims are submitted by smaller practices with five or fewer doctors and that converting those users to electronic claims could save up to $11 billion each year.

Of course, converting the die-hards is easier said than done. Even if doctors are interested in making the switch (not a given), the logistics are more difficult for smaller practices.  They have fewer staffers on hand, and some specialties, like family practice, may have very slim budgets to work with.

In his address, Bartzak suggested making digital claims mandatory for providers and insurers. Would that cause more problems than it would fix? Share your thoughts in the comments.