Dispute between Aetna, California Medical Assn. heats up

[bemildred]

Two healthcare heavyweights are exchanging sharper blows and more patients may be caught in the middle of this fight over medical payments.

This week, the California Medical Assn., the largest physician group in the state with 35,000 members, accused health insurance giant Aetna Inc. of refusing to negotiate with member doctors or kicking physicians out of its insurance network as retaliation for a lawsuit filed last month. As a result, the association said, Aetna may be limiting patients' access to their regular doctors.

In a sharply worded response, Aetna disagreed and said it is the one fighting on behalf of patients against some physicians' "egregious and improper billing practices" that drive up costs for consumers.

The nation's third-largest health insurer said it remains committed to offering an extensive network of physicians but "it is limited in its ability or willingness to negotiate with those physicians with whom it is in active litigation."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-aetna-doctors-feud-20120830,0,7996610.story

[FirstLight]

1. this is a good one to watch...

i haven;t been following...what's your take? greedy Docs or greedy Insurance corporate overlords?

[bemildred]

3. My take:

I'm always glad to see our corporate overlords squabbling among themselves rather than colluding together on methods to fleece the rest of us.

[FirstLight]

4. +100!

[cbayer]

2. CMA is one of the most activist medical associations in the country.

Since physicians are generally prohibited from collective bargaining, the insurance companies have always held the reins when it comes to setting reimbursement rates.

It looks like the physicians may be protesting by sending patients out of network and Aetna doesn't like it one bit.

Should be an interesting case to follow.