So, you’ve (supposedly) paid your Obamacare premium. You are now ready to see a doctor. Too bad they don’t want to see you, and there aren’t enough
(AP) When Olivia Papa signed up for a new health plan last year, her insurance company assigned her to a primary care doctor. The relatively healthy 61-year-old didn’t try to see the doctor until last month, when she and her husband both needed authorization to see separate specialists.
She called the doctor’s office several times without luck.
“They told me that they were not on the plan, they were never on the plan and they’d been trying to get their name off the plan all year,” said Papa, who recently bought a plan from a different insurance company.
It was no better with the next doctor she was assigned. The Naples, Florida, resident said she left a message to make an appointment, “and they never called back.”
This is almost like clockwork, where some news outlet trots out a story highlighting the problems those with insurance through Ocare have in finding doctors. Many doctors and medical facilities want nothing to do with the problems associated with taking Ocare insurance, including the massive paperwork and low payouts.
One purpose of the new health law was connecting patients, many of whom never had insurance before, with primary care doctors to prevent them from landing in the emergency room when they are sicker and their care is more expensive. Yet nearly 1 in 5 Americans lives in a region designated as having a shortage of primary care physicians, and the number of doctors entering the field isn’t expected to keep pace with demand.
Not really, it was about forcing people to have health insurance in order to Do Something while letting the chips land where they may. The fact that they can’t afford the deductibles and that the networks are restricted was barely discussed during the time when the majority of the country was saying “hell no!” to passing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Oh, now, wait, those who were against Ocare actually did mention these problems. Huh.
Of course, this is not the case for everyone. Some are actually able to quickly use their government sponsored insurance. It has to be admitted that it is not all doom and gloom. But, there sure are enough negative stories.
Insurance agent Anthony Halby heard similar complaints from his clients in Grass Valley, California, a Sierra foothill community about an hour east of Sacramento. He said half a dozen consumers wanted him to switch their health plans as soon as the second round of open enrollment started earlier this month. They told him the plan they chose last year made it extremely difficult to find primary care doctors.
Coverage does not equal access,” said Halby, who instead recommends his clients choose a plan outside the exchange that has a much broader provider network but also will not come with the government premium subsidies given to most of those who buy insurance through the exchange. “I tell people this up front: The premiums are going to be higher because there’s no subsidy. However, I’m going to guarantee you can keep your doctor.”
In order to reduce costs networks are kept intentionally small. Medical facilities can only see so many people. Nothing is free. The purpose was to give government even more power over the economy and people’s lives. It’s what Progressives do. It’s what they want. Of course, they get very upset when the consequences affect themselves individually. They always think the negative consequences will hit Other People, never themselves.
Not sure if I would even want to have a. doctor who has a main concern of how much or how little the remuneration would be
Maybe it’s time to apply free market principles to medical training! As the population increases doesn’t it make sense to increase doctor training? Of course a free market will cause doctor compensation to drop.
Teach that woman was one of the 6 million who were previously ininsurred
There was a doctor shortage before ACA and yes the cad fiction of millions who now could go to a doctor gas made it worse
But at least they now have a chance to go
Bull. The woman was signing up for a “new” insurance plan from her current insurance provider.
Maybe. But the shortage has been exacerbated by the ACA as doctors drop out of the groups and are not paid at market rates.
Go where? Are you really saying that there is no difference between those who chose not to have access to a doctor previously and those who are forced not to have access to a doctor now?
Jeff, John,
Once again you have no idea of the subject matter for which you are commenting. Both of your comments are wrong.
dave,
Once again you type without adding substance. Please enlighten us if you know about the subject matter.
jeff,
I am an expert on the subject and know every detail, but it does no good to give information to someone who can not process it.
The ignorance of people who make comments like “I’m not sure I would want to see a doctor who cares about remuneration” simply astounds me. I say this as a critical care physician with almost 2 decades of experience practicing medicine.
How many of these type of commenters are willing to work 80-100 hours per week, at all hours of the night, miss holiday celebrations, their kids’ activities, etc., and not “care about remuneration”? This type of self-impressed, sanctimonious collectivist stupidity can only come from the mouth of someone who did not spend 4 years in college, then 4 years in medical school, then from 3 to 8 additional years in residency and subspeciality training to finally be able to perform at a job and begin paying back the crushing debt incurred from medical school.
Obamacare is one of the most despicable crimes ever committed by the democrats, and the fact that they had to lie so hard to cram it down our nation’s throat should be all any thinking person needs to be certain obamacare must be repealed.
All of you blithering idiots who think obamacare – or any other form of socialist medicine – is a good or workable idea, can put your money where your big, fat, collectivist mouths are, and go to medical school, do residency, pay thousands of dollars to obtain your board certification and your state medical license, keep up with your annual medical credentialling courses, pay your support staff,…and then you can bloviate all you want about how “overpaid” doctors are.
Obamacare delenda est.