Anyone who follows the Obamacare mess knows that United Healthcare, the nation's largest health insurer is pulling out of the Obamacare exchanges for 2017. That means that every individual who bought insurance on the exchange from United Healtcare or its subsidiary Oxford Insurance will lose coverage on December 31, 2016. These people can, of course, buy coverage from a different carrier, but that's only half the story.
Let's focus on New York for a moment to explain the full impact of what will happen. In the New York City region, if you unfortunately get cancer, the place you want to go for treatment is Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. MSK, as it is known, is one of the best cancer care facilities in the world. Even if you don't want care at that hospital, you certainly want to get a second opinion on proper treatment if you or someone in your family gets struck with cancer. Here's the problem: United Healthcare is the only plan offered on the exchange in New York which provides coverage for MSK. To be clear, in New York, the plans do not offer out of network coverage; that means that once United Healthcare pulls out of the exchange, no person covered by a plan purchased on the exchange will be able to get treatment at MSK. NONE! Not a single one! If a New Yorker with coverage from the exchange gets cancer next February, he or she will not be able to get treatment at the city's pre-eminent cancer center. Even worse, for New Yorkers who already have been diagnosed with cancer who are being treated at MSK, they will have to switch doctors and hospitals in order to complete their treatment.
Oh the joys of Obamacare!
Let's focus on New York for a moment to explain the full impact of what will happen. In the New York City region, if you unfortunately get cancer, the place you want to go for treatment is Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. MSK, as it is known, is one of the best cancer care facilities in the world. Even if you don't want care at that hospital, you certainly want to get a second opinion on proper treatment if you or someone in your family gets struck with cancer. Here's the problem: United Healthcare is the only plan offered on the exchange in New York which provides coverage for MSK. To be clear, in New York, the plans do not offer out of network coverage; that means that once United Healthcare pulls out of the exchange, no person covered by a plan purchased on the exchange will be able to get treatment at MSK. NONE! Not a single one! If a New Yorker with coverage from the exchange gets cancer next February, he or she will not be able to get treatment at the city's pre-eminent cancer center. Even worse, for New Yorkers who already have been diagnosed with cancer who are being treated at MSK, they will have to switch doctors and hospitals in order to complete their treatment.
Oh the joys of Obamacare!
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