OT - United Healthcare Dropping Doctors

[JDS74]

UnitedHealthcare, a significant Medicare Advantage insurance provider, is notifying doctors and their insured patients that many of them will be dropped from coverage.

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories ... ctors.aspx

This is an interesting article.

[BlackSpinner]

"While these changes can be difficult for patients and their doctors, they are necessary to meet rising quality standards,

so they

losing her oncologist at the prestigious Yale Medical Group -- the entire 1,200 physician practice was axed.

Do you believe in fairies?

[ems]

BS... not sure what you mean??

[BlackSpinner]

BS... not sure what you mean??

They say they want to increase quality so they axed a prestigious oncology clinic? How does that help?

[chunkyfrog]

Maybe they meant "rising quality standards" of the dividends to their shareholders.

[JDS74]

Maybe they meant "rising quality standards" of the dividends to their shareholders.

Perhaps it has more to do with the $156 billion cut in Medicare Advantage in the Affordable Care Act.
Just a thought.

Edit: sorry about the misspelling.

[ChicagoGranny]

the Affordable Car Act.

[Goofproof]

BS... not sure what you mean??

They say they want to increase quality so they axed a prestigious oncology clinic? How does that help?

The quality they care about is the quality of their bottom line. More Gold Braid for the CEO's Hat please. Jim

[StuUnderPressure]

the Affordable Car Act.

I thought they had gotten rid of all of those with the "Cash for Clunkers" campaign?

[Goofproof]

the Affordable Car Act.

I thought they had gotten rid of all of those with the "Cash for Clunkers" campaign?

I junked out, 3 thirty year old driveable cars in 2009, the government said they didnt qualify for the program, so when I bought my new ride, I got thd bigger engine in it, seeing as the government wasn't concerned with saving gas. It's a littlehard to drive, it wants to spin thd rear wheels. Jim

[RogerSC]

I have a medicare supplement plan (medigap) through UHC/AARP, and am not seeing these changes. Just thought I'd mention it in case an alternative would help. You still have a couple of days to switch your medicare insurance provider, maybe something to look into.

[Bobshouse]

Only change I see in the FEHBP is $200.00 a month increase in premiums. That's gonna hurt.

[zoocrewphoto]

My parents got a letter last month that their supplemental insurance won't be accepting by the Franciscan medical system. Well, that includes the two closest hospitals, my mom's primary doctor (she left private practice to join them a few months ago), the cardiologist for both of them, and my mom's sleep doctor and diabetic doctor.

They are still working on finding something that will work and stay within their budget.

[Janknitz]

Medicare Advantage plans were reimbursed around 12% more than traditional Medicare plans. This was a Clinton AND Bush era plan to entice people to go to HMOs (HMOs were to use the extra money to provide things like optical, dental, and gym memberships to get more members) which was thought to be a more economical delivery system. The idea was that these incentives should have gone away a long time ago, but lobbying prevented that until now. So UHP isn't going to suffer a loss of profits, they cut corners on more expensive care.

If you are losing your trusted health care provider and you want to change to traditional Medicare or a different HMO, contact your local SHIP/HICAP office for FREE counseling to evaluate plans. The number is on the back of your Medicare and You book.

[archangle]

Be sure to complain to your congress members. They're working for the lobbyists, not for you, but nothing will improve unless enough voters get mad and complain.