Omg tell me about it!!!! I live in Ann Arbor and have BCBSM and want to scream. For some conditions, BCBSM will be required to continue to cover people in network for 90 days if they can't reach an agreement.
ugh. I'm so sorry this happened - it sucks shit. I lost access to both my therapist AND my psychiatrist about two weeks after my father died last fall because Anthem Blue Cross NY got into a billing dispute with the Mt. Sinai system. (I think in theory there was a temp workaround bc NY state has continuity of care laws, but figuring it out required mental resources I simply did not have in the moment!!) I was actually lucky to be a freelancer (for once lol) because I could just switch insurance providers when open enrollment started, but so many people across the city got absolutely fucked - I know someone who got stuck waiting on biopsy results for over a month because Mt. Sinai abruptly stopped taking her insurance and dragged their feet on transferring her records. truly an evil and depressing system.
I don't agree with all proposals published through "HEALTH CARE un-covered" for reforming the US healthcare system (and the ones I agree with might not be the ones you agree with), but I appreciate it as a resource exposing the need for reform.
*For now*, I'm finding my state's BCBS plan *less* of a pain than my local BigHospCorp, which, though technically nonprofit, has gobbled enough competitors to profit monopolistically from patients who can't manage large commutes. My BigHospCorp upcodes, balance-bills its own in-network patients, and sometimes commits very basic medical malpractice like denying you antibiotics for strep because your strep test is positive, but somehow your prescriber did not get YOUR test results (though they appear correctly in your patient portal). (I have ongoing joint damage from that incident.) Reporting BigHospCorp to my coverage for billing fraud is the only clout I can realistically scrounge without lawyering up.
My BigHospCorp is also a Center of Excellence for oh, so many things. Just not one I can get even basic timely care out of. I haven't checked whether it's also excellent at suing its own patients after overbilling them, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is now, as that's also apparently state of the art –
Against BigHospCorp, I have no clout, but sometimes my coverage does, and I've come to grudgingly appreciate that. Grudgingly. For now, I sometimes benefit from playing the titans against each other. Maybe not for long, though –
Yeah I can see the situation you outline—truthfully I’ve had a lot of mediocre medical experiences (though nothing as bad as you describe) and mostly easy insurance experiences. And I’m not in crisis. So like, I will be okay. But I’m mad.
This is the only place on the Internet where anyone would even consider the point of view of the Insurance company, which I find heartening. But yeah, those guys are evil. Anyway, no advice but you do have my sincere sympathy.
What’s also sort of funny is that if you do a 30% reduction from 50 (and arrive at BCBSM’s preferred number) and then a 44% increase, you basically end up back at 50 (I think?). That also fits with Michigan Medicine’s statement that they would accept the same contract as the one already in place… However I think at that point BCBSM’s statement would be a straight up lie as opposed to “a very carefully worded truth” lol.
Omg tell me about it!!!! I live in Ann Arbor and have BCBSM and want to scream. For some conditions, BCBSM will be required to continue to cover people in network for 90 days if they can't reach an agreement.
I had to learn that so I could reassure someone that they wouldn't have to change hospitals literally 3 months before their baby was due.
everybody about to have a baby or surgery or… what a MESS
we gotta get rid of private health insurance - I hope abdul el-sayid wins the senate primary here
That sucks, I’m sorry
Thanks! I will be ok… the worst case scenario for me is I switch my PERT subscription to my GP for now. But it’s a big mess.
ugh. I'm so sorry this happened - it sucks shit. I lost access to both my therapist AND my psychiatrist about two weeks after my father died last fall because Anthem Blue Cross NY got into a billing dispute with the Mt. Sinai system. (I think in theory there was a temp workaround bc NY state has continuity of care laws, but figuring it out required mental resources I simply did not have in the moment!!) I was actually lucky to be a freelancer (for once lol) because I could just switch insurance providers when open enrollment started, but so many people across the city got absolutely fucked - I know someone who got stuck waiting on biopsy results for over a month because Mt. Sinai abruptly stopped taking her insurance and dragged their feet on transferring her records. truly an evil and depressing system.
Man that’s awful. I’m so sorry. I haaaaate this.
I'm so sorry you have to go through this! it is hell. not to be glib, but... in luigi we trust
liking this while shaking my head so the fbi agent reading this knows i don’t agree with violence…………
The Substack "HEALTH CARE un-covered", founded by Wendell Potter, covers issues like this.
https://healthcareuncovered.substack.com/
I don't agree with all proposals published through "HEALTH CARE un-covered" for reforming the US healthcare system (and the ones I agree with might not be the ones you agree with), but I appreciate it as a resource exposing the need for reform.
*For now*, I'm finding my state's BCBS plan *less* of a pain than my local BigHospCorp, which, though technically nonprofit, has gobbled enough competitors to profit monopolistically from patients who can't manage large commutes. My BigHospCorp upcodes, balance-bills its own in-network patients, and sometimes commits very basic medical malpractice like denying you antibiotics for strep because your strep test is positive, but somehow your prescriber did not get YOUR test results (though they appear correctly in your patient portal). (I have ongoing joint damage from that incident.) Reporting BigHospCorp to my coverage for billing fraud is the only clout I can realistically scrounge without lawyering up.
My BigHospCorp is also a Center of Excellence for oh, so many things. Just not one I can get even basic timely care out of. I haven't checked whether it's also excellent at suing its own patients after overbilling them, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is now, as that's also apparently state of the art –
https://healthcareuncovered.substack.com/p/hospitals-that-sue-you-for-getting
Against BigHospCorp, I have no clout, but sometimes my coverage does, and I've come to grudgingly appreciate that. Grudgingly. For now, I sometimes benefit from playing the titans against each other. Maybe not for long, though –
https://healthcareuncovered.substack.com/p/hospital-megasystems-join-insurers
Oh thank you for the rec—subscribed!
Yeah I can see the situation you outline—truthfully I’ve had a lot of mediocre medical experiences (though nothing as bad as you describe) and mostly easy insurance experiences. And I’m not in crisis. So like, I will be okay. But I’m mad.
This is the only place on the Internet where anyone would even consider the point of view of the Insurance company, which I find heartening. But yeah, those guys are evil. Anyway, no advice but you do have my sincere sympathy.
What’s also sort of funny is that if you do a 30% reduction from 50 (and arrive at BCBSM’s preferred number) and then a 44% increase, you basically end up back at 50 (I think?). That also fits with Michigan Medicine’s statement that they would accept the same contract as the one already in place… However I think at that point BCBSM’s statement would be a straight up lie as opposed to “a very carefully worded truth” lol.