Stop The Hospital Shell Game!

There is one glaring blind spot among those debating how best to reform the health care system. It’s my personal pet peeve–the fact that doctors don’t have to accept the same insurance plans as the hospitals in which they work.

There is nothing more disconcerting than to walk into a hospital for surgery and see a sign warning: “Medical care providers may bill you separately for services rendered, and may not accept the same insurance as this hospital.”

This is no joke. Even if you make sure the hospital you are checking into is in your medical plan’s network, and that your surgeon accepts the carrier’s coverage as well, you still may end up getting billed by a radiologist, anesthesiologist or some other part of the vast medical team working on your case who does not take your insurance.