Austin Diagnostic Clinic to stop accepting Tricare military insurance

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/10/01/1001clinic.html


Plan covers 2,600 to 2,700 soldiers, retirees and families who use clinic.


Lee Ann Murray of Austin has a daunting list of medical problems, ranging from migraines that can last a week to lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect multiple parts of her body. She sees a cadre of specialists at Austin Diagnostic Clinic, who she says provide good care.

******
But the clinic — one of the largest in Central Texas, with 120,000 patients — told Murray that because of problems collecting payments from her health insurer — the U.S. military's Tricare plan — it is dropping her coverage. By Oct. 31, she will have to find new doctors, and so will 2,600 to 2,700 other Central Texas Tricare members who use Austin Diagnostic Clinic. They are active-duty soldiers, retirees and their families.
******

Austin Diagnostic Clinic will continue to accept Tricare patients who have some other insurance, including Medicare, as their primary source of health coverage.

Murray, who is married to an Army National Guard officer about to be sent to Iraq, was stunned. She says trying to find new doctors who will take Tricare has been frustratingly difficult. "My husband is going to Iraq, and I don't have health care," Murray, 49, said.

-snip-

Meanwhile, Tricare announced in July that it has chosen UnitedHealthcare to replace Humana Military in the 10 states where it now processes claims, including Texas — a contract estimated to be worth $21.8 billion over five years. But because Humana Military is protesting, the contract is under review, probably until the end of the month, said Tricare Management Activity spokesman Austin Camacho. Overall, Tricare has 9.5 million members, and the new contract probably won't take effect until next fall, Camacho said.
-long snip-
---------------------------------


one minute you have health care, the next minute you don't

And it brings back an initial concern with the whole "public option" approach. Its only worth its weight if its actually accepted by doctors

if a Doctor wants to continue to accept MEDICARE, then they will have to accept the Public Option.

Except when it might cost you money!!!

humana is the private company that processes Tricare claims, and it is their slow payment that is the reason the clinic is dropping them.

They will be replaced with UnitedHealthcare. As a former customer of UH, I can tell you they process claims at a truly snail-like pace. For example, I had one outstanding claim that they took TWO YEARS to process.

Is it irony that the private companies that compete against the government process the claims slowly, leading to a general impression that government-run programs are ineffective, buearucratic nightmares, or is it rank stupidity of whoever granted the contract in not seeing the profound conflict of interest.

military doctors and hospitals like in the old days including for retirees and dependents.

If you have to get care through a civillian facility the patient should only have to present their military ID or dependent ID card and the government should directly reimburse the hospital or doctor.