As reported by The Boston Globe:
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care has notified customers that it will drop its Medicare Advantage health insurance program at the end of the year, forcing 22,000 senior citizens in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine to seek alternative supplemental coverage.
The decision by Wellesley-based Harvard Pilgrim, the state’s second-largest health insurer, was prompted by a freeze in federal reimbursements and a new requirement that insurers offering the kind of product sold by Harvard Pilgrim — a Medicare Advantage private fee for service plan — form a contracted network of doctors who agree to participate for a negotiated amount of money. Under current rules, patients can seek care from any doctor.Alternative plans likely will cost more and will not have the same coverage as currently, according to the article.
Which reminds me, I forgot one more "and."
And there's an election in just over a month.
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And, here we go. Color me surprised.
ReplyDeleteWe had our Insurance meeting this afternoon...guess what? Our copay has risen, and our monthly premiums have risen BUT, according to our HR manager (the same one that took black co-workers to the voter registration office on COMPANY time in 2008 yet failed to ask any white workers if they were registered) the company is absorbing the additional cost of the premiums, so our monthy deduction will stay the same. Makes me wonder where the fat is being trimmed...probably that extra maintenance technician I inquired about two months ago and was told that business is so bad that we cannot afford to hire an additional technician. This was told to me as six new production workers arrived, along with a coulpe new pieces of production equipment worth over one million dollars, and several new parts to be manufactured for Caterpillar. I thought we were in business to make money, not be some sort of philanthropical organization. something is fishy......
ReplyDeleteIn the debate, AARP was pushing the Obama plan. Why? Because AARP is United Healthcare which offers plans similar to what you are talking about. The only problem is that United Healthcare is horrible. As a physician, I have had more than my share of problems with them. I suspect that the law has favorite clauses for these people.
ReplyDeleteIn Washington State today- one of the two bigger players dropped child only offerings citing the requirement to take on pre-existing conditions.
ReplyDeleteWhere's my comment showing how misguided this post is?
ReplyDelete