…pay more for meaner and less reliable insurance. “We’re facing higher and higher deductibles, narrowing networks, because the insurance companies run the show. They dictate health care that doctors practice,”…
Not Much to Show for Nation’s High Cost of Care
…health insurance markets are limited, or both. Products are complex and difficult to compare. There may be competition, but it is usually on “quality,” not price. Indeed, patients often pay…
Not even CalPERS can guarantee that you can keep your doctor
14,000 CalPERS members and their families need to find a new 2019 health plan. Here’s why.
…providers ask that their coverage areas change for certain plans.” https://www.sacbee.com… *** Comment: By Don McCanne, M.D. Think back twenty years ago and try to remember what health insurance coverage…
It’s not just the insurers who are causing sky-high surprise medical bills
The PR Campaign to Hide the Real Cause of those Sky-High Surprise Medical Bills
…is paid to other doctors. Either way, health care costs and insurance premiums go up, and consumers pay the price. Recently, bipartisan legislation passed through committees in both the House…
"Narrow networks" take away choice
Health Net set to offer discounted insurance
…insurance companies such as Aetna and UnitedHealth Group have also offered such plans. http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2011/11/01/20111101health-net-offer-discounted-insurance.html Comment: By Don McCanne, MD “Narrow networks” – sharply limiting the network of physicians and hospitals…
Aetna favors "margin over membership"
Q1 2013 Earnings Conference Call
…our base networks in those marketplaces. Currently the rates we’re getting for most of those networks is between Medicare and commercial, based on the narrower networks, the closer we get…
Increasing instability in health care is inevitable under Obamacare
…empty promise if the number of doctors and hospitals in your network has shrunk and deductibles have soared.” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/28/us/politics/instability-in-marketplaces-draws-concern-on-both-sides-of-health-law.html *** Comment: By Don McCanne, M.D. Instability. Shrinking networks. Soaring deductibles….
Secret rules, denials & fraud: The dark side of Medicare Advantage
…company counts on and, and the insurance company counts on. So what are you gonna do, complain, What are you going to do? Switch to a different insurance company, Victory…
Letter to Feds: How to Fix Broken Medicare Advantage
…centers of excellence in their networks and disclose out-of-pocket costs for people with complex conditions. 5. Standardize MA coverage rules and cost-sharing design. 6. Ensure appropriate oversight of MA. The…
BlueCross BlueShield Association shifting support to narrower network plans
Blues plans to launch high-performance network nationwide in 2021
…https://www.bcbs.com… Comment: By Don McCanne, M.D. One problem with employer-sponsored plans today is that cost sharing, especially high-deductibles, has been pushed to the limit. By making patients pay more out…
Is your doctor in your network? Use a recorder when you ask your insurer.
…not covered, forcing them to pay the charges out-of-pocket, the complaint said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/15/us-usa-healthcare-blueshield-idUSBREA4E0VN20140515 **** Recording seems to refute claims made by Anthem By David Lazarus Los Angeles Times, May 15,…
AHIP explains why private insurance is a bad deal
…affordable access to out-of-network providers for those consumers who want the advantages of a network, but also maintain the option to go out-of-network if they choose. Report: http://www.ahipresearch.org/PDFs/ValueSurvey/AllStatesReport.pdf And… New…
