Texas Doctors, Hospitals Don't Know If They're In Or Out Of Obamacare Plans

Kaiser Health News ^ | October 21, 2013 | By Becca Aaronson, The Texas Tribune

[Oldeconomybuyer]

As consumers weigh coverage options available in the newly launched federal health insurance marketplace, three of the largest medical associations in Texas have raised concerns about the uncertainty of provider networks offered by health plans in the marketplace.

“Physicians, they just want to know who's walking through their door and what kind of coverage they’re going to have,” said Lee Spangler, vice president of medical economics at the Texas Medical Association. “They’d like that uncertainty to be settled.”

The uncertainty of the provider networks also creates a hardship for consumers, many of whom consider whether their current doctor is covered before purchasing a health plan.

Federal officials said that consumers could click a link associated with each health plan to review the provider network, but the Tribune was unable to access that feature because of glitches on the federal website that made it difficult to create an account.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Train wreck.

[jimbo123]

The ObamaCare doctors network.

[SkyDancer]

Obamacare does nothing at all to increase the number of doctors and nurses; it does nothing to lower the cost of health insurance; and the basic sign-up site does not work, so God knows what the rest of the IT will be like. In other words, this monstrously awful legislation was written by people who don’t know anything about health care, don’t know anything about health insurance, and don’t know anything about health care IT!

But, in keeping with the folks in charge, while they are blindingly ignorant, they don’t even know…that they don’t even know.

[plain talk]

Is that mickey mouse there in the middle?

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Maybe this is what the "brains behind the throne" have in mind :

“After we win this election, it’s our turn. Payback time.
Everyone not with us is against us and they better be ready because we don’t forget.
The ones who helped us will be rewarded,
the ones who opposed us will get what they deserve.
There is going to be hell to pay." --Valerie Jarrett

[smokingfrog]

Texas did not set up a government health care insurance exchange. Just shop for insurance like you might normally do.

[Grams A]

Texas did not set up a government health care insurance exchange. Just shop for insurance like you might normally do.”

Not quite that simple from the doctor’s perspective. Many people are covered by plans written in other states because that is where their corporate office is located. Add to that the fact that networks are combining. For instance, Aetna may pay a claim and although the doctor may be part of the Aetna network, a particular group may now pay at contract rate levels for a network they have never heard of and would not want to be part of.

It’s all a friggin’ mess.