For the past week or so, Mike and I have been participating in an online ObamaCare© "event," sponsored and hosted by LexisNexis' Martindale-Hubell. It's been an opportunity for us to "strut our stuff" for a select audience of legal eagles; the "capper" was a 2-hour webinar on Wednesday, covering ObamaCare© from the perspectives of not just insurance folks, but providers as well.
It is truly scary stuff.
Surprisingly, the most important thing I learned was that it's not just the insurers that are in a tizzy. Providers are in a very bad situation: the "reform" rules hit them as much as they do the carriers. Unlike the insurers, though, many (most?) providers are small (often very small) businesses that are going to have some major tech and other expenses in short order.
My guess is that a lot of them are going to be forced to sell out to the hospitals and/or larger provider "umbrella" organizations. And look for a lot of them to drop out of all insurance networks. I'm also thinking that a lot of them - especially specialists - are going to be shedding Medicare/Medicaid patients.
Hey, a lot of folks wanted "change."
It is truly scary stuff.
Surprisingly, the most important thing I learned was that it's not just the insurers that are in a tizzy. Providers are in a very bad situation: the "reform" rules hit them as much as they do the carriers. Unlike the insurers, though, many (most?) providers are small (often very small) businesses that are going to have some major tech and other expenses in short order.
My guess is that a lot of them are going to be forced to sell out to the hospitals and/or larger provider "umbrella" organizations. And look for a lot of them to drop out of all insurance networks. I'm also thinking that a lot of them - especially specialists - are going to be shedding Medicare/Medicaid patients.
Hey, a lot of folks wanted "change."
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