IS THE #ACA WIDENING DISPARITY? #PATIENTSCount

Nothing is resolved regarding the health insurance debacle. The loopholes are being exploited. There are articles popping up all over the country. People have added links under several Facebook posts. MD Anderson is guilty, too.

I'm not laying this at the feet of the cancer centers, but I am saying to the insurance companies and the cancer centers:

"Sit down at the table and remember that there are REAL PEOPLE who are seeking an option to access care at the major cancer centers. Give us an affordable and reasonable option."

This isn't patient centered. This is self selection or self exclusion and it's happening in offices with charts and people analyzing those charts.

In the meantime, I knew I saw this study and couldn't find it when I posted my rant. Duh. And thanks to my buddy, Diane Mapes for posting a link to an article at Hutch which included the link back to the study. It was on the MSKCC Blog page. It assesses outcomes in free-standing cancer centers, NCCN member hospitals, academic teaching hospitals and community hospitals.

Way to address disparities. I know it's not only MSKCC that has offered no options within their networks. MD Anderson has done the same. I will find the links and get them posted. For now, here's the great image on the MSK Blog.

    
MSKCC says it is attempting to work with insurers to get contracts in place. There are already contracts in place with at least two groups in their network. They just won't allow small groups or individual plans to be included in those groups. Is it because the contract rates are drastically different? Because, from this patient's perspective, if the rates are substantially the same, there is no reason for the exclusion.

Patients Count. Except, we are, once again, the volleyballs. And no, I'm not letting go of this. I expect a more acceptable solution. I expect an option. An reasonably affordable option. In other words, even if the option is 20% higher than the average of the available policies, I'll count that as reasonable.

Anything less and everyone is speaking out of both sides of their mouths. We discuss disparities and then we feed the disparate care by printing a chart that punctuates the disparities??

#PATIENTSCount


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