Patients may get stuck with lab bills after insurer cuts reimbursements

[Tanuki]

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20131206/NEWS07/312060102?source=nletter-top5

TN BC/BS is cutting what they reimburse doctors who do their own in-house lab tests and who have been including it in the cost of an office visit. If they aren't being reimbursed, those doctors will probably do as other practices do and outsource the testing to private labs, resulting in an additional bill for the patient. This will especially affect those with high deductible plans. If a doctor doesn't go along with this, BC/BS will kick them off the preferred provider list. I hasten to add that this has nothing to do with the ACA, but I'm sure that plenty of people will blame it on the ACA because of the timing. I already hate BC/BS, and this is just another reason to get the damned insurance companies out of the health care process. As far as I can see, they add no value at all and are just predators, sucking already scarce resources out of the system wherever they can.