Private practitioners feel pressure from UPMC, Highmark battle
By Steve Twedt, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"That's absolutely not true," said
UPMC, meanwhile, has been sending out robocall invitations from Chief Medical and Scientific Officer
In almost election-style campaign style, the Highmark-UPMC battle for patients and their health insurance policies has taken on a more personal, more direct tone.
"We knew this day would come," said
"I think they've both gone over the edge, personally."
It's playing out in situations like that facing
"I've been practicing 28 years. I am a solo, private practitioner. They can't call my patients and say they need to find another Highmark obstetrician," he said, adding that he believes patients are being intentionally diverted to doctors employed by Highmark's
Highmark spokesman
Part of the confusion may stem from
But there can be no confusion about the larger dynamic taking place during this crucial open enrollment period in which patients are choosing insurance health plans: Both Highmark and UPMC are bypassing physicians and contacting patients directly to keep them in their respective networks.
Before the robocall invitations from
The stepped-up marketing efforts by both parties "are raising concerns that these recruitment campaigns are interfering with physician-patient relationships," said
"We appreciate that they are attempting to reach out to insureds and patients to provide information about the changing relationships, but in some cases they are raising the anxiety level and creating confusion," said
UPMC spokesman
He cited a
"Not only is this false, it's a violation of the consent decrees" which include continuity of care provisions that will allow patients to continue seeing their UPMC doctor at in-network rates through 2015, he said. "Highmark is yet again agitating the very types of patients who were meant to find assurance and clarity in the consent decrees."
He added that UPMC received "overwhelmingly positive feedback" on the
It will be weeks, if not months, before a clearer picture emerges as to which side has done a better job of winning the hearts and minds of local health consumers. For RMU's
"There are no winners in this. If you think it through in the near term, whether you're UPMC or Highmark, you're going to lose a hunk of your patients. This is going to disrupt physician practices all over the place."
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