All Centra hospitals participating in health insurance exchange

Dec. 15--Bedford Memorial Hospital and Centra's Lynchburg General, Virginia Baptist and Southside Community hospitals are just a few of the Central Virginia hospitals that will accept clients participating in the new health insurance exchange.

When a Roanoke-based broker released information to the contrary to media outlets in November, residents immediately began calling Centra Health with concerns.

People specifically wanted to know, "Will Centra be involved in the exchange or not?" said Centra spokeswoman Diane Riley, who fielded a number of those calls.

"The short answer is yes, absolutely we are part of the programs that are involved in the exchange," Riley said.

Virginia's health insurance exchange was set up as a result of the Affordable Care Act. The exchange is intended to provide options for buying affordable insurance using federal tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies based on purchasers' income.

In Lynchburg specifically, residents have the two options on the health insurance exchange, Healthkeepers by Anthem and Optima.

All of Centra's hospitals -- not necessarily all of its facilities and physicians, though -- are participating in both plans.

Consumers, however, still have to do their homework before signing up, experts said.

"There are some key practices that don't participate with (Anthem Healthkeepers) health exchange and do participate with Optima, like the Orthopedic Surgeons of Central Virginia, F. Read Hopkins and Richardson Drive (Pediatrics)," for example, said Tim Neenan, Centra's Director of Managed Care.

The best way to find out is to seek out a local brokeror certified counselor and search the insurers' websites.

"Lynchburg brokers are going to be diligent and knowledgeable," said Neenan.

Centra Health, Central Virginia Health Services and the Johnson Health Center all have what are called Certified Application Counselors, who have to follow federal guidelines and provide consumers with unbiased health insurance exchange information.

Lynchburg also has Enroll Virginia's Health Insurance Navigator, Amber Poron, who provides assistance statewide through a federal grant.

Each insurer also provides tools for consumers to conduct a doctor or hospital search online.

Both Optima and Anthem provide lists that can be broken down by specialty, ZIP code and plan. If you don't see your provider, counselor Melissa Viohl tells clients to "call and ask."

"Find out who your provider is contracted with," said Viohl, director of patient access at Centra Health.

Local counselor-designated organizations like the Johnson Health Center, Central Virginia Health Services and Centra will host a series of informational programs to assist people with the health insurance exchange.

The first, "Affordable Care Application Assistance Workshop," takes place from 3-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Alan B. Pearson Cancer Center, 1701 Thomson Dr. The workshop also will feature a health fair with screenings and information from various health groups.

Subsequent workshops will be held Jan. 7 from 2-4 p.m. at Southside Community Hospital in Farmville; Feb. 13 from 3-7 p.m. at the Alan B. Pearson Cancer Center and March 11 from 2-4 p.m. at Southside Community Hospital.

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