Posted on 09/24/2013 5:03:06 AM PDT by 11th_VA
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.
SNIP
Even though insurers will be forbidden to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions, they could subtly discourage the enrollment of sicker patients by limiting the size of their provider networks.
“If a health plan has a narrow network that excludes many doctors, that may shoo away patients with expensive pre-existing conditions who have established relationships with doctors,” said Mark E. Rust, the chairman of the national health care practice at Barnes & Thornburg, a law firm. “Some insurers do not want those patients who, for medical reasons, require a broad network of providers.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
Gee ... didn’t see that coming! [/s]
“MAY BE”.....jezzzz, it’s may be this week, the story will disappear as soon as it turns to “will be”..right Times?
I’m not at all surprised. Unfortunately, I think this will just give fuel to the fire for what Obama has really wanted all along: a government-controlled, single payer system.
Well, duh...
yup.
It’s not only doctor choices that will be limited. Pharmacy choices will be as well. Rather than using the pharmacy down the street that you’ve always used, you may have to drive across town - contributing to globull warming.
Collectivists love shortages of everything.
...and Ted Cruz is so evil for trying to stop this nonsense. Ted Cruz is something the establishment hasn’t seen in a long time: a leader.
They just the announced the health care exchange in my home state of West Virginia, there is a grand total of ONE insurance company participating. So much for a competitive market place....
FMG’s
It’s not rationing... it’s a focused delivery option. < /potential Obama Newspeak>
The democrats are going to have a lot of explaining to do in the near future.
No they won't. They'll just blame the evil Tea Party and the GOP and the media and the low information crowd (but, I repeat myself) will just slurp it up.
What kind of doctors would be willing to be part of these low cost groups?
NBC and the NY Slimes both sounding the alarm? Uh oh, they’ve finally figured out what a huge problem this is gonna be for the Dems.
We could have gone this same route (set up low-cost community health clinics for those with no other options) at a fraction of Obamacare’s cost.
NYT is another winner of the NoSh**Sherlock award.
Blaming people only works so long. You still have to deliver results.
“Here is your aspirin, Comrade. Now go home and die.”
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