Posted on 02/20/2014 5:13:06 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
CBS affiliates bring us two updates on the ongoing disaster of Covered California, the ObamaCare exchange in the Golden State that has begun to look a lot more like Uncovered Californians. In Sacramento, Nick Janes reports on the plight of Katherine Cadman, who eagerly signed up for an insurance policy through the state’s exchange — and then tried to use it to see a doctor. Doctors, however, are not anxious to see customers from ObamaCare plans, thanks to the lousy reimbursement rates:
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
One viewer said she did months of research before picking the plan that Blue Cross recommended. But it’s still been a nightmare.
Katherine Cadman says her emails and calls aren’t getting anywhere. She says she signed up for an Anthem Blue Cross Plan, but doctors keep refusing to see her.
“It’s just not right,” she said. “It does make you feel like you’re a second-class citizen.”
Chris and Tammy Dunn told us the same exact thing about their experience trying to find a doctor to fix Chris’ back. He says an in-network doctor turned him down.
“I haven’t slept in four months,” said Chris.
When we again reached out to Anthem again for answers on Wednesday and they issued the following statement:
“Our records indicate that this doctor has a contract with Anthem Blue Cross to treat our Covered CA members, and we will reach out to him to determine what the issue is.”
The doctor apparently was on the plan … emphasis on the past tense. The providers in question decided not to provide service under the reduced reimbursement rates that Anthem’s ObamaCare-compliant plan delivers. That’s his choice; doctors don’t have to accept insurance plans, after all, especially if the reimbursement doesn’t cover his or her costs to provide services. That, however, leaves Covered California consumers asking this question:
“What are we left with as far as being Covered California subscribers?” Cadman asked. “The bottom of the barrel?”
When payments get cut to bottom-of-barrel rates, what do consumers expect to happen?
In the San Francisco area, they’re discovering that the doctors that will accept them work in areas they’d rather not visit:
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
California’s health care exchange promised potential customers they would have enough physicians to choose from. But some new enrollees, including an Alameda County woman, are discovering that their doctor choices are extremely limited.
Julia Turner is surprised that she even has to search for a doctor. When she signed up for a policy through Covered California late last year, her long-time physician was listed as participating in her Blue Shield plan. It turned out; however, that he is not accepting patients with her Blue Shield policy, purchased on the Covered California exchange.
When Turner called around to find someone else to treat her, she got more frustration. “The only doctors accepting new patients are urgent care clinics,” Turner told KPIX 5 ConsumerWatch.
None of the doctors are located in the city in which she lives. Instead, Turner said, “They are in areas of East Oakland that have a lot of violence.”
Only one doctor on the Blue Shield list for Turner’s plan in her area was both board-certified and accepting new adult patients … out of 41 listed. KPIX got Blue Shield to add her existing doctor into the network, but Turner isn’t happy with the outcome:
“This is not what we were promised. I see those (Covered California) commercials now and I want to scream,” Turner said.
Yes. You were promised a free lunch, and expected that to be realistic. The laws of supply and demand, and cost and pricing, do not get wished away or legislated out of existence.
The tip of the coming iceberg...
Before long, people will be BEGGING for single-payer...
Get a job, work hard, and miraculously you'll begin to sleep better.
That’s considered being cussed at in California.
The freakin’ dopes got “health insurance “ policy. Democraps never spent a minute of thought about the the actual health care part.
The leftist scum don’t give a rats ass either.
I’m too busy laughing to care.
Too bad,suckers. The grinning Marxist got your vote,and you got the shaft.
In the San Francisco area, they’re discovering that the doctors that will accept them work in areas they’d rather not visit
This part is darn funny! San Fran is Pelosi central, every area should be paradise!!!
Yeap, if there's a SINGLE DOCTOR left...
The same thing is happening elsewhere. Not just on the west coast. People signup after seeing a list of doctors on a plan only to find out none of the doctors will accept the insurance. Personally I would call that Fraud by the insurance company. These people can’t even get their money back.
But won’t Single payor be about the same as Obamacare except they will take the premiums right from your paycheck if you have a job? There wont be more Doctors
Perhaps people should call their Doctor to see what insurance they take before signing up. Or can they just pay the Doctor out of pocket and not use the insurance would the Doctor see the person at least
“Our records indicate that this doctor has a contract with Anthem Blue Cross to treat our Covered CA members, and we will reach out to him to determine what the issue is.”
I'm getting so sick of the phrase "reach out".
Yes... But these a$$hats don’t know that... Uncle Sugar will save them from the eViL Insurance companies who are screwing them...
And a doctor shortage will be temporary... Immigration “reform” will bring in plenty of government “owned” foreign doctors...
It couldn’t be ANY better... /S
Most likely in both 08 and 12.
This is an amazing statement for an adult to make.
Yes. Pathetic. But illustrative of the advanced state of the dumbing down of America. Imagine, believing in a promise spewed by politicians, ‘rats especially.
That anyone believes what a politician "promises" is astounding to me. Don't they realize it's just pablum to get elected?
I should be ashamed of myself but I do get a perverse pleasure reading these stories about these LIVs getting a taste of what they voted for. Of course, I cannot be sure that these particular people voted for Democrats but since it’s California the odds are good that they did.
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