Mayo Clinic to give preference to privately insured patients over Medicaid patients
Mayo Clinic’s chief executive made a startling announcement in a recent speech to employees: The Rochester-based health system will give preference to patients with private insurance over those with lower-paying Medicaid or Medicare coverage, if they seek care at the same time and have comparable conditions.
The number of patients affected would probably be small, but the selective strategy reveals the financial pressures that Mayo is facing in part due to federal health reforms. For while the Affordable Care Act has reduced the number of uninsured patients, it has increased the share covered by Medicaid, which pays around 50 to 85 cents on the dollar of the actual cost of medical care.
Mayo will always take patients, regardless of payer source, when it has medical expertise that they can’t find elsewhere, said Dr. John Noseworthy, Mayo’s CEO. But when two patients are referred with equivalent conditions, he said the health system should “prioritize” those with private insurance.
“We’re asking ... if the patient has commercial insurance, or they’re Medicaid or Medicare patients and they’re equal, that we prioritize the commercial insured patients enough so ... we can be financially strong at the end of the year to continue to advance, advance our mission,” Noseworthy said in a videotaped speech to staff late last year. The Star Tribune obtained a transcript of the speech, and Mayo has confirmed its authenticity.
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http://www.startribune.com/mayo-to-pick-privately-insured-patients-amid-medicaid-pressures/416185134/
= new reply since forum marked as read
What else is new?
Of course they do not want you if you happen to be on Medicaid and/or Medicare?
Reason is simple! They get more money by not taking either of the above.
These days one must call around and ask, "Do you accept Medicare or Medicaid?". If they do not, you are out of luck.
If they are willing to see you, it won't be that great. The care you receive will in many cases will be second rate, that you can depend on!
SAD!
Last edited Wed Mar 15, 2017, 10:26 PM - Edit history (2)
They made it so an annual physical was part of the the ACA. Policies were supposed to comply but many worked their way around it when it came to billing.
That said, I managed to get my spouse in as he would not go. I was getting high blood pressure readings on him at home that were frightening! He had to go in due to the ACA requirements that his physician had to comply with for an annual physical and he was dx'd with high blood pressure. Today he is on two types of medication for it.
If it weren't for that pesky physical requirement in the ACA it might have never been caught in time. I noted that when the next time for a physical came, it was not paid for at all. I still cannot remember what excuse they gave but the doctor's bill was not paid by anyone. 
After that, he's never had another routine physical and is over 80 years. Something is rotten in Denmark so to speak wouldn't someone agree? 
This is part of the FAIL aspect. It needs to be tweaked a bit but I think it is still a very viable option for many if they could get it together enough to sit down and do the work and hammer out something that WILL work!!
The have's and the have nots as usual. 
