Lower Health Insurance Premiums to Come at Cost of Fewer Choices
By ROBERT PEAR, NYT
WASHINGTON — Federal officials often say that health insurance will cost consumers less than expected under President Obama’s health care law. But they rarely mention one big reason: many insurers are significantly limiting the choices of doctors and hospitals available to consumers.
From California to Illinois to New Hampshire, and in many states in between, insurers are driving down premiums by restricting the number of providers who will treat patients in their new health plans.
When insurance marketplaces open on Oct. 1, most of those shopping for coverage will be low- and moderate-income people for whom price is paramount. To hold down costs, insurers say, they have created smaller networks of doctors and hospitals than are typically found in commercial insurance. And those health care providers will, in many cases, be paid less than what they have been receiving from commercial insurers.
Some consumer advocates and health care providers are increasingly concerned. Decades of experience with Medicaid, the program for low-income people, show that having an insurance card does not guarantee access to specialists or other providers.
(More here.)
WASHINGTON — Federal officials often say that health insurance will cost consumers less than expected under President Obama’s health care law. But they rarely mention one big reason: many insurers are significantly limiting the choices of doctors and hospitals available to consumers.
From California to Illinois to New Hampshire, and in many states in between, insurers are driving down premiums by restricting the number of providers who will treat patients in their new health plans.
When insurance marketplaces open on Oct. 1, most of those shopping for coverage will be low- and moderate-income people for whom price is paramount. To hold down costs, insurers say, they have created smaller networks of doctors and hospitals than are typically found in commercial insurance. And those health care providers will, in many cases, be paid less than what they have been receiving from commercial insurers.
Some consumer advocates and health care providers are increasingly concerned. Decades of experience with Medicaid, the program for low-income people, show that having an insurance card does not guarantee access to specialists or other providers.
(More here.)
Powered by Blogger
1 Comments:
This article illustrates some of the problems with MNSure. After reviewing a little more of the product offerings for Blue Earth County, it is shocking to me that with a population base this large and with good medical facilities, that there is not a Platinum plan offered. It appears that we have 5 Bronze, 5 Silver, 4 Gold and 1 Catastrophe programs to choose.
Buyers will need to look deeply into the plans to see which doctors and facilities are included ... the insurance company will offer competing plans under the same "medal" grouping with different physicians/facilities included. My spouse has seen two medical providers that are not listed in one "medal" group but listed in another ... while another insurer may not offer their services at all.
The problems really may not become known until someone signs up for insurance, files a claim for a broken arm and then finds out that the Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic is not in the "medal" policy listed of approved medical providers.
Post a Comment
<< Home