Speaking of health care rationing - we just got dropped b/c of our insurance

[Neurotica]

I received a letter today from one of our regular physicians (a specialist). She is dropping all patients with coverage from United Healthcare starting this fall. This has happened numerous times in recent years as local specialists have gotten fed up with United Healthcare's poor reimbursement policies. Many doctors with excellent reputations and thriving practices have not felt the need to battle UHC for reasonable payments, and I don't blame them one bit having spent a great deal of time myself on the phone with UHC.

In our case, we currently have an EPO, which is like a PPO but you have to stay in network or you don't receive any benefits (except in the case of emergency care). Because we have to stay in network, our pool of physicians has become smaller and smaller as specialists have closed their doors to us. (And we live in a major metro area.)

So that's really another way to think about the rationing that's already occurring with our current healthcare system.

In one way we're fortunate because my husband is about to change jobs and we will have new, much more widely accepted insurance. On the downside, we will be paying a lot more out of pocket.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. So some insurance company is standing in your way to have the doctor you chose? Hmm, wonder what all

those arguing against a public option would say?

[1]

16. if a physician can choose to drop uhc, could a physician choose to drop the public option?

[Thothmes]

25. Yes, the physician I see will not take medicare patients.

[PVnRT]

2. Great, that's the company I have

I'm glad we don't have CommieCare! :sarcasm:

[Neurotica]

4. I actually called them a year or so ago to complain about the situation

The customer service rep gave me a song and dance about how UHC is the biggest healthcare company in the U.S.

That doesn't matter to me if I can't see my favorite doctors anymore...

[napi21]

3. Send a copy of that ltr to your 2 Sens. & Rep!

I honestly think some congresmen BELIEVE there are really no problems with today's HC. It's about time everyone who has problems or receives ltrs like that regarding their current plan send the info to congress so the WILL KNOW FOR SURE what the heck is in the real world!

[Neurotica]

5. That's a good idea -- I'll add some more background info, too

[Realityhack]

6. +1 Best idea in the thread!

Something you can actually DO to address the situation. I like it.

[ejpoeta]

10. that's probably because THEY don't have any problems. they are set.

I bet they don't have to switch doctors every couple of years because the insurance drops a doctor from their network or the doctor drops the insurance. There are doctors around here who won't even deal with most insurance because of the hassles.

[AndyA]

7. Don't fear, the Republicans and Blue Dog Dems are working hard to make sure

the government doesn't get between you and your doctor!

Oh wait...the health insurance company is doing that...ooops. Guess they'll have to think of another excuse now.

Sorry to hear your news. Health care in this country is a JOKE.

[madinmaryland]

8. We had UHC until three years ago. The practice we went to ended up

dropping them. We changed to my wife's plan, and finally changed doctors after the practice decided to drop all medical insurance.

[ejpoeta]

11. can only switch during open enrollment. i'm glad you at least could swtich.

[madinmaryland]

18. We changed during open enrollment. The doctor was dropping UHC at the

end of the year, so it worked out well.

Then they decided to dump all insurance and open up as a "boutique health care service". Yeah, pay them $2k per patient up front for the year and unlimited health care. We dumped them when they decided to do that. Apparently so did most of their other patients, because they nixed the idea before even implementing it.

[Javaman]

9. Mine did the same thing, but the place were I work had just changed over to aetna

about a month later, I got a letter from my dr. (had to change GP because he wan't on aetna), that he had to drop me because of UH.

[JimWis]

12. You reminded me of a problem with insurance I have not

thought about lately. I couldn't see my favorite doc anymore, because his group dropped their contract with BC/BS. At that time I had decent insurance through work with BC/BS. Which I have since lost. I never did find out why they lost or didn't renew their contract. But that is another complication of private insurance that sucks.

[Laelth]

13. Just remember.

No doctor nor any hospital will be required to take patients with public option insurance (as per the terms of the House bill under consideration).

:dem:

-Laelth

[truedelphi]

14. That is scary. So it sounds like the public option

Has another built in reason to fail.

Right now I have County medical. And only four doctors will see a new patient - and two of those are very "religious" so good luck if you need an abortion or even certain types of pain killers.

[Laelth]

15. I agree. It is scary.

I have the sense we're being sold down the river. I hate feeling this way.

:dem:

-Laelth

[truedelphi]

17. And one other point - the Powers that Be keep saying

"Under government programs, care is rationed."

Well since our insurance "providers" are rationing care NOW, and Congress is keeping them in the loop, what is there that will force them to stop the rationing of care?

Last time I watched any C Span on this issue was a week ago Friday. The bill that Waxman had put together was 2,100 pages long. What loopholes are hidden away in those cumbersome 2,100 pages? I can only imagine the wonderful deal spelled out inside provisions of the bill.

Why should any bill be 2,100 pages long? If Denmark or Iceland can have their entire health care policy on three pages, I would think we could get by with a mere 200 pages or so.

[ejpoeta]

20. because they know that most people won't read 2100 page bill

and they can fill it with a bunch of nonsense that no one understands. that will make it easy to put in loopholes and all kinds of roadblocks etc to kill it.

[ejpoeta]

19. i think the biggest reason a doctor will stop accepting an insurance is the hassle

involved. if they know they will get paid for services and not have to fight with the insurance company, then i don't see why they wouldn't take it.

[Laelth]

23. I tend to agree.

But it makes me very nervous that the original proposal (a mandate requiring all doctors and hospitals that take Medicare to also take public insurance) was fought by the AMA, and they won. They got the rule they wanted, that no doctor nor any hospital will be required to take public option insurance patients.

That should make us all a little nervous.

:dem:

-Laelth

[ejpoeta]

24. i didn't know that. that is scary.

[DailyGrind51]

21. Have you sent this to your local newspapers and Congresspersons?

This is the kind of story they need to hear more about.

[4lbs]

22. How ironic these complaints about United Healthcare's poor reimbursement.

UHI just reported huge second quarter profits.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/07/21/business/AP-US-Earns-UnitedHealth-Group.html


That's likely because they didn't reimburse jack crap it seems.

[Neurotica]

27. One physician who dropped us put up a poster with the UHC CEO's salary

right on his lobby counter so that no one could miss it as they signed in.

This must have been after he decided not to renew his contract. He was pretty upset at his reimbursements and was eager to vent.

It was really funny -- except that we had to find a new doctor.

[progressivebydesign]

26. but but but.. the bipartisan panel just said we don't really need healthcare for all!

We only need to not be denied when we BUY expensive insurance. I have an idea. Every fucking senator that has EVER gotten cash from an insurance lobbyist should be BARRED from deciding on this. Crickets...