Patients turn to private advocates to navigate medical system
Submitted by achenault on Thu, 06/09/2016 – 3:06pm
We were surprised to learn this week that the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) secretly approved the merger between Aetna and Humana health insurance companies back on May 10, 2016. Today, we issued a press release criticizing ODI for the lack of transparency in this decision.
We know that affordability of health coverage is a top concern for Ohio consumers. That’s why we sent a letter to the Ohio Department of Insurance back in February with our concerns about the proposed merger between Aetna and Humana health insurance companies. In the letter, we expressed our concerns, including that the merger would:
ODI, in its 1 ½ page decision paper, buried deep on its website, did not respond to any of the concerns we raised.
In contrast, when Missouri Department of Insurance was faced with a similar decision, they held public hearings and issued a well thought-out decision, ruling against the merger. Missouri ruled against the merger because it would result in fewer companies serving more people (sometimes referred to as “market concentration”). Ohio’s market concentration is similar to Missouri, yet ODI provided no response on the harm to competition.
Ohio’s Insurance Commissioner could have examined different protections that could have been imposed on the merging insurers to protect Ohio consumers. These protections weren’t considered either.
At UHCAN Ohio, we believe that Ohioans deserve transparency on a decision of this magnitude that will affect so many lives. If you or someone you know has Humana or Aetna insurance through the Marketplace or through a Medicare Advantage plan, please let us know if this merger affects you.
Submitted by achenault on Wed, 04/06/2016 – 12:24pm
In any given day you consume any number of things – lunch, information, energy. But are you a “consumer”? I’m sure you’ve heard the term, but when you think about your health care, do you consider yourself a consumer?
For almost 20 years, UHCAN Ohio has been the voice of the consumer – people like you – advocating for affordable, accessible, and quality health care. UHCAN Ohio and advocates across the country use the word “consumer” to mean regular people: not doctors, insurance companies, or the government, but rather your neighbor, your child’s teacher, the person in your choir, or your brother who lost his job and insurance.
But when we say “consumer,” do you know we’re talking about you and that we want to hear your experiences so we can carry your voice to decision makers?
There are many associations and lobbyists that represent and protect the views of doctors, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and all other interests in the health care system. If regular people like you are going to have a place at the health care decision-making table, we need to describe you in a way that aligns with how you think about yourself. So when we need to call on you for feedback on how affordable your health care costs are or to make a call to your senator, you know that we’re talking to you.
There are other words that speak to the personal nature of health, like “patient.” Typically, people use the word “patient” to describe the relationship they have with a doctor or nurse that cares for them. However, people don’t generally think of themselves as patients when they are healthy and working to keep themselves that way. How do you think of yourself when your diabetes is well controlled? Who are you when you are healthy but have a family history of early breast cancer? Who are you when you are deciding whether you can afford a visit to the doctor?
More commonly, you think of yourself as a parent, brother, or sister. But do you consider yourself a health care consumer?
Let me know how you would describe your role in the health care system. Do you consider yourself a consumer? Please send your thoughts to me at swagner@uhcanohio.org.
