Do Doctors Accept NoName Health Insurance Company?

One thing that always get's me is when prospective clients offer questions about a carrier. Not the usual things like, "How often do carriers like this go bankrupt?"

Usually only once, ma'm.

Or even something like "What is their rating with the Better Business Bureau?".

Carriers are not rated by the B.B.B., ma'm.

But when they say something like, "I have never heard of this company and my doctor probably won't accept them".

Yeah, right. Like I have nothing better to do than go around recommending companies that don't pay claims, and doctor's never heard of, just so I can spend the rest of the year answering subpeona's from attorneys and irate phone calls from clients.

All of the plans I use are tied to PPO or HMO contracts. Any provider that has signed a PPO or HMO contract is obligated to accept payment from the carrier as "in full" and will not balance bill the patient for covered services.

So guess what happens next?

The same person who said they never heard of NoName Insurance goes and buys some junk from a rookie who was changing tires at a Wal-Mart last month. They buy a plan that has no deductibles, no waiting period and no limit on stupidity. It is called a medical discount plan and . . . here is the kicker . . . most doc's will not accept the card unless you pay cash up front.

Go figure.