Doctors cut from Medicare Advantage networks struggle with what to tell patients

[jsr]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/doctors-cut-from-medicare-advantage-networks-struggle-with-what-to-tell-patients/2014/01/25/541bfbd8-77b4-11e3-af7f-13bf0e9965f6_story.html

Doctors cut from Medicare Advantage networks struggle with what to tell patients
By Ariana Eunjung Cha, Saturday, January 25, 4:50 PM

Thousands of primary-care doctors and specialists across the country have been terminated from privately run Medicare Advantage plans, sparking a battle between doctors who say patient care is being threatened and insurers that insist they have to reduce costs and streamline their operations.

Medical associations, which describe the dismissals as the largest in the program’s history, say the cuts are forcing some patients to leave their doctors in mid-treatment and creating gaps in the types of medical specialists covered in some areas. They’re taking their protests to court, and having some success.

In December, a federal judge in Connecticut issued an injunction that temporarily prohibits an insurer from dismissing doctors in Fairfield and Hartford counties, and an appeals court in Texas has upheld a similar court order. Another lawsuit is pending in New York, and doctors groups in several other states are threatening legal action.

The American Medical Association, the nation’s premier doctors organization — along with 39 state affiliates and 42 patient and medical specialty groups — has called on the Obama administration to intervene and put pressure on insurers to reverse the terminations.

[GeorgeGist]

1. Seems the Drs. like socialized medicine ...

when it means making an income.

[Hoyt]

2. One bright side, maybe some of these docs will have to accept Medicaid patients they have avoided.

[Sunlei]

3. Then pay the Federal $$ directly to the Doctors, hospitals and leave out the insurance middlemen.

[Thinkingabout]

4. This is where a problem surfaces. Far some years I have been notified by my insurance company

A hospital group has been in negotiations with the insurance companies and we are nit to use those facilities. It goes for a while and things gets worked out. I am not sure the money hungry insurance companies makes the best decision for doctors and patients as they do for themselves. A single payer system might take care of this problem but I am not sure. If the money went to healthcare and not so many fingers getting portions of the money those who have spent years training would benefit rather than insurance companies.

[freshwest]

5. Exact opposite in my experience. Is this a red state issue? n/t

[DesertFlower]

6. i had a chat with my doc a few months ago.

he's for single payer.