We Will No Longer Take Your Insurance

 We are on Medicaid. I'm generally not a "Medicaid for All" person. I'm a MODERATE Democrat. Insurance companies employ a lot of people. What happens to the economy when they lose their jobs because of the switch?

"But there will still be health insurance, they will still work."

Okay, some Medicaid 101 for you. Medicaid is actually already through big insurers. United Health Care is ours. Under the name United Community Plan. But it's a small part of their business because they are a business, they are in it for profits. The reduced income from this law change means layoffs. 

But I have been hearing "we will no longer take your insurance" or "No, we don't take United Community" a lot. You can argue that it's a Medicaid thing. I can counter that too, it's a United thing. We are in the process of switching to Horizon NJ. That's the Blue Cross version of Medicaid in NJ. Because a lot of places take that. We had the regular United years ago and doctors started to drop it. 

This is exactly why so many people support, "Medicaid for All". Hearing that sentence "We will no longer take your insurance". Right now, doctors can choose how greedy they want to be. High medical bills? These days, more new doctors work for bigger practices for a salary. Their salaries are not going up even if profits go up. Also, what about all those other professions with expensive degrees? That is a long-dead argument. 

Healthcare, as is everything, is about money. The more you have, the better the options you have. The less money you have, the fewer options you have. You also are more likely to get a Nurse Practitioner or Physician's Assistant on Medicaid. The ones with the extra level of education are uninterested in seeing you unless necessary. Almost no specialists take our insurance. Thank God for Atlantic Health! 

Last June, we heard that sentence from our regular doctor. They take Horizon NJ, not United Community. That's when I started reconsidering my views on "Medicaid for All". If they were required to take my insurance, there is a ton less stress going on. Choices for those on Medicaid? FINALLY!

My new doctor is generally good. But she's single practice and I have to go to LabCorp for blood work and CVS for vaccines and testing. I feel awkward in CVS and had a rough waiting room experience in LabCorp. With the plan switch, we will be returning to the old practice that we loved and can now walk to. They confirmed the only Medicaid they take is Horizon NJ. 

Why now? Because we love Zach's new pediatrician, and they said that sentence last week. "We will no longer be taking United as of the 30th". Luckily, Zach is all set with Horizon NJ. Josh and I are still pending. I think it's a co-pay thing.

My current opinion is this, "All doctors, specialists too, should be required to take all Medicaid. But private companies should be able to offer non-Medicaid options and the choice should be up to the patient. As a compromise there should be basics that all Medicaid coverage should have. Fewer referrals and better pay."

Let me explain that last one. Most doctors do take Horizon NJ but few take United Community. It's one thing to require Medicaid to be offered by all insurers and taken by all doctors. But there is a reason one company is taken and the other isn't. A couple of doctor receptionists think that Horizon both pays better and requires less referrals. So, make Horizon's way the law for what Medicaid has to be then it's more reasonable to require doctors to take it!