This is another example of a Medicare Advantage prgm… that is being provided by a FOR PROFIT insurance company and providing a Medicare-C (Advantage) insurance. Baptist Healthcare is a large hospital & office practices in Kentucky & southern Indiana. According to this article, the Baptist hospitals are still in-network with Humana. In 2024, it will cost us abt $750/yr each before we get the first PENNY IN COVERAGE for our medications. “We” have Humana Part D and we have already been given a “heads-up” that if we elected to stay with Humana for 2024, our “out of pocket costs” is increasing abt 45%. Of course, as of Jan 1, 2024… Humana is merging with United Health – who is endorsed by AARP.. don’t know if this has anything to do with these out of pocket cost. When I turned 65 y/o in 2012, United Health Medicare Supplement was $20/month more for the same supplemental policy that we ended up signing up for. Maybe the difference between this year Medicare Part D and will be for 2024… was what it cost United Health – and other businesses – to have AARP’s endorsement?
Humana-insured patients lose coverage at Baptist Health Medical Group
The two companies were unable to reach an agreement Friday, leaving some patients little to no options.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Baptist Medical Health Group is no longer accepting some patients insured through Humana, after the companies were unable to reach an agreement Friday.
After months of negotiations, there was no agreement on a new contract – meaning Baptist Health Medical Group will be out of Humana’s network for Medicare Advantage and employer-sponsored commercial plans.
Patients, like Amy Derby, are now left frantic and unsure of where to turn next.
“Everybody’s lost,” Derby said. “And you try and talk to a social worker or a healthcare advocate here at the hospital and they don’t even know.”
Derby has been insured through Humana for 13 years. She tells WHAS11 that she was notified in late August of the negotiation problems between Baptist, Humana and Medicare.
She received a letter from Baptist printed on Sep. 13, but delivered Sep. 18, stating that her doctor at Baptist was dropping her as a patient because of her Humana Medicare Advantage Plan. That change went into effect Sept. 22.
What does this all mean? Higher out-of-pocket costs for medical services.
“Now that I’m out of network, I can’t get any actual answers on what copays, hospitalizations, or procedures are going to be,” Derby said.
Derby is now tasked with finding a new general practitioner cardiologist and hematologist oncologist.
“I’m just in a tizzy like everybody else,” she said.
In a statement sent to WHAS11, Baptist Medical Health Group stated, in part: “As caregivers, nothing is more important than ensuring our patients have access to the care they need, when they need it. We understand this process has been frustrating for our community, but we will continue to advocate for those we serve.”
The change only effects Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Health hospitals are still in-network for Humana.
Baptist Health is encouraging patients to call Humana at the number on the back of your insurance card to learn about your plan’s out-of-network benefits.
Humana has not responded to our requests for comment.
Filed under: General Problems
[…] Humana-insured patients lose coverage at Baptist Health Medical Group […]
Their loss, Nortons have their arms wide open to Humana patients.
They have lost so many patients and yet they could care less, sooner or later they will regret their decision to stop taking Humana, Nortons is looking forward to new patients, including me and my Husband.
Personally, I would rather have insurance that allows me to select the practitioners and facilities that I wish to use. Rather than let a FOR PROFIT INSURANCE COMPANY decide who is going to provide treatments. My experience is while all practitioners are generically licensed, they are not all generically competent. My experience is that low-bid providers usually only works well for people who don’t need any serious/costly healthcare services.