Even Doctors in Dark About New Health Plans

ore than a month after HealthCare.gov and 15 state-based exchanges opened for business, consumers and even physicians are finding it's isn't easy or even possible sometimes to find out which doctors and hospitals are in the plans' provider networks.

"Some states, they have it, and for some, it isn't available. It's a big unknown for the patient," says Anders Gilberg, senior vice president of government affairs for the Medical Group Management Association, whose members manage doctors' practices. "It's very much up in the air."

That means insurance shoppers often can't choose plans that their doctors participate in — or that include doctors near them. It also means doctors may not be able to confirm they're in a plan when consumers ask them. While consumers may now occasionally find a doctor listed on their commerical insurance plan isn't accepting patients or is no longer on the network, at least they can reliably find provider lists and doctors at least know what plans they currently participate in.

Read the full story here: http://nyti.ms/1ev6AYm

Source: USA Today