Aetna-IU Health battle over rates could put hospital out of network
By Dann Denny, Herald-Times, Bloomington, Ind. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"Oh, manure!" he said.
The letter was from Aetna, the insurance company with which he and his wife have a policy to supplement their
"I know these issues usually get settled, often after causing a lot of policyholders angst and worry," Briddle said. "They pull the same stunt every few years, but I don't like them holding us hostage. I suppose it's the way our health care system now prefers to operate, but it's nothing more than a game of chicken to see who will blink first."
When Briddle called Aetna's customer services department this week, the representative told him the impasse, if unsettled, would affect not only
Representatives from
"In early May, Aetna said it planned to remove
"We extended our contract with
Ertel expressed similar optimism.
"Right now, patients holding Aetna insurance still have access to the highly skilled care at
But Briddle, a retired veterinarian, said he's grown weary of what he says is the predictable brinksmanship between insurance companies and health care providers every three to four years.
"My assumption is that they will eventually reach an agreement," he said. "But I find it interesting that the contract renewals seem to come midyear, after customers have already committed to a company's policy in the October-November enrollment, obviously putting the policyholder in a trap."
Briddle said his wife had hip and knee replacement surgery and a spinal fusion at
"We will stick with our physicians and with
___
(c)2014 the Herald-Times (Bloomington, Ind.)
Visit the Herald-Times (Bloomington, Ind.) at www.heraldtimesonline.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 660 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News