I May Not Accept Your Insurance, But I Will Always Accept You

Pamela Wible, MD, is a family physician in solo practice in Oregon. She accepts most insurance plans. But, to protect herself, her practice, and her patients, she is very clear on what type of contract she will not sign.

Just for the record: I am happy to see you-irrespective of your insurance.

I accept most insurance plans. And if I don’t accept your insurance, I have a very good reason.

I will not sign a contract with a health insurer that:

Abuses and bullies me and/or my patients.

Denies all my first claims.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_crop","fid":"25658","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image media-image-right","id":"media_crop_1455425769692","media_crop_h":"0","media_crop_image_style":"-1","media_crop_instance":"2384","media_crop_rotate":"0","media_crop_scale_h":"0","media_crop_scale_w":"0","media_crop_w":"0","media_crop_x":"0","media_crop_y":"0","style":"float: right; width: 300px; height: 196px;","title":" ","typeof":"foaf:Image"}}]]

Reimburses me so little that I may go out of business.

Leverages a $50 penalty against me when my patients accidentally go to out-of-network labs.

Charges me hundreds of dollars of “membership fees” before I’m allowed to see their patients.

Offers me a contract that dictates my responsibility for THEIR legal fees if they determine I did something wrong.

Keeps me on hold and rotating through multiple phone lines while never addressing my concerns.

Treats me like a criminal.

Assigns me patients who have not selected me as their doctor.

Pays me through a complex formula that even a mathematical prodigy can’t understand.

Penalizes me financially if I don’t use the type of computer system that they think I should use.

Penalizes me financially if I don’t electronically submit my prescriptions the way they think I should.

Threatens me and my colleagues every year with all sorts of financial penalties if we don’t do what they (non-physicians) think we should be doing.
 

Insurance companies have done all of these things to me. My choice to end my relationships with abusive insurance companies will never impact the quality of medical care that you’ll receive from me. I will always care for you even if I do not care for your insurance company.

Just saying.