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.
