I see the stress in his eyes and the worry on his face about us and our situation that it's hard keep positive thoughts about his grueling recovery time. My income alone isn't enough to keep up with household bills and other expenses throughout Dean's treatments. With no work benefits or any other income and having used all of our savings, RSP's and borrowing from family we find it impossible to make ends meet. Now with all of Dean's appointments, chemo and radiation treatments he is unable to return to work anytime soon. Unfortunately it came back positive for stage 3 advanced throat and neck cancer on October 13th with treatments starting in mid December. In September of this year Dean was called back to work but was awaiting the results of a biopsy report. He picked up odd jobs here and there but nothing permanent to make ends meet. Then faced with the drop in oil prices he was laid off as well as many of his co workers. Before losing her battle with cancer Dean went to be by his sons side in Vermont, USA, to help with emotional and financial support.ĭean returned home and within weeks found himself back to work as a full time vac truck operator on the oil rigs. Jeff Smith, a spokesman for AmeriChoice, the other insurance company, said it was not seeking to amend its contracts with physicians.After still grieving over the loss of Dean's beloved granddaughter Zoey, in October of 2013. We’ve also been in contact with our hospital partners.”īlueCross BlueShield is one of two insurance companies that contract with the state to provide benefits for TennCare recipients. At this point, we’re just going through the due diligence process based on this proposal. “We are analyzing the financial impact as well as the effect that it would have on patients,” Jeter said. Jeter, chief financial officer for UT Medical Group Inc., which has more than 400 doctors on its staff, said the practice had not made a decision yet on a course of action. “Primary care physicians will not be affected,” Thompson said.īrenda H. Thompson said the rate cuts vary for hospitals, but the reductions to specialists average 14 percent.Ībout 12,000 specialists statewide are affected by the cuts. We just can’t sustain those ongoing losses and operate the program.” We’ve been able to operate at a loss for a short period of time over the past year, throughout 2009, and been able to handle those losses due to our financial strength. “However, we are projecting very heavy losses. “Volunteer State Health Plan anticipated some losses originally due to the startup costs associated with the new contract costs for the east and west grand regions (of Tennessee),” Thompson said. She said Volunteer State Health Plan, the division of the insurance company that contracts with TennCare, was operating at a loss. “They are separate from actions the state deems necessary to control program costs.” “As far as I’m aware these rate reductions are because we’ve been experiencing losses throughout 2009,” said Mary Thompson, manager of media relations for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The state’s budget cuts could cause more physicians to stop accepting TennCare patients. The cut is not a direct consequence of the state budget proposed by the governor, but is a harbinger of the difficulties facing the state’s Medicaid managed care program. Hospitals also received notices their payer rate would be cut. 31 letter notifying specialists of the rate cut that went into effect Feb. Phil Bredesen announced deep cuts in health care spending.īlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, which operates one of two managed health care companies that contract with the state on the TennCare program, sent out a Dec. Call it coincidence or bad timing, but many physicians in Tennessee began taking a 14 percent cut for seeing TennCare patients on the same day Gov.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |