Consumers Trapped As Insurers, Hospitals Fight
A month earlier, the insurer sent the 90-year-old man a letter saying nearby
"It was final," Wacker said. "They didn't say 'maybe.' They didn't say, 'We were negotiating.' That was all."
Consumers in
Consumers have to decide whether they go with their insurance company or their doctor. And that's if they're lucky. If the contract ends before open enrollment season begins, they are stuck.
It's prompted consumer advocates to ask
'Very bad position'
"It puts the consumer in a very bad position," said
Below, it listed Barnabas' hospitals -- which includes Community,
Wacker, a retired social studies and English teacher, received near free health insurance through his union, and he is in fine shape. He retired two weeks ago from his job coaching third- and fourth-grade girls' basketball in Berkeley, only because the drive was too long.
But he still has a handful of doctors he regularly sees, and the letter caused him to scramble. As it turns out, for no reason. The two sides reached an agreement on a new two-year contract shortly before the old one expired.
Aetna and Barnabas customers aren't alone. Last year, UnitedHealthcare dropped
Consumers stuck
For consumers, the timing of contracts can be bad.
Federal and state laws provide only a partial a safety net.
The
Still, it doesn't address what would happen if the two sides reached a last-minute agreement.
Aetna spokeswoman
"Our process with all the letters is that we state the expected termination date of the contract and advise members of alternate care facilities. If we subsequently reach an agreement, we send a second letter telling them a deal has been reached and their coverage at the facilities in question will continue uninterrupted, or whatever the case might be," she said.
Still, some observers fear insurance negotiations will take on a similar tone that has pervaded cable television negotiations. But instead of dire warnings that consumers will lose, say,
"There's a lot of gamesmanship that goes on," said
Consumers don't have much choice in the matter. Although Wacker did his best to take control. In February he signed up for insurance with another carrier, although he -- and other experts contacted by the
After he received Aetna's letter, he called his new insurance company to cancel.
"As far as I know, I'm a member of Aetna," he said.
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