This is a bit of an updated as there has already been one lawsuit filed with other states joining in, more information at the link below.  The Supreme Court made a ruling earlier this year that doctors could group together to litigate and that’s what appears to be happing there. 

US Appeals Court Refuses Interim Stay Requested By United Healthcare In Connecticut & Refers Matter to 3 Judge Panel While Other State Medical Boards (California and Texas to name 2) Signed On To The Brief To Support The Connecticut State Medical Society

In the meantime, New York has decided to file their own lawsuit and again this is the same situation with doctors who take care of Medicare advantage patients being dropped.  Patients will either need to find another plan where their doctor is in network or look for another doctor.  In addition, travel for seniors is also a factor as in many instances a new doctor could be miles away from where they live. 

Federal Judge Issues An Injunction Against UnitedHeatlhcare Hours Before Physicians Were To Be Dropped From Medicare Advantage Network In Connecticut–Supreme Court Ruling Earlier This Year Against United Allowing Doctors to Group To Litigate Might Help..

Anymore the big conglomerates just look at their numbers and the decisions seem to be a matter of “algorithm says” and from what I have read on the web it’s even a bit more irritating as United seems to not be communicating with the doctors they are eliminating from Medicare plans.  A couple years ago United did a mass firing of around 200 employees to where they received a text message to report to the lobby, and then all were loaded on to buses and taken to a hotel and given their walking papers, so again their methodologies with the “human” element at times are certainly questionable.  

The company also does hospice and palliative care for profit via a subsidiary Evercare,  they own so they want want the money from Medicare for taking care of many terminally ill seniors but it seems as until you get to that point if you are an “Advantage” subscriber, there’s not enough money in your body to put down to their bottom lines.   BD

Hospice In the “For Profit” Sector As Subsidiaries of Health Insurance Companies-Subsidiary Watch


The Medical Society of the State of New York has filed a federal lawsuit asking the Eastern District court to intervene to prevent United Healthcare from dropping nearly 2,000 of the society’s doctors from its Medicare plans on Jan. 1, court documents show.

In a complaint filed Dec. 23, the Medical Society alleges the insurer terminated doctors’ contracts as Medicare providers in order to offset “reduced federal payments under the Affordable Care Act.”

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2013/12/8537968/ny-docs-sue-stop-united-healthcare

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