Seven out of Ten Doctors Are Boycotting Obamacare in California, and Aren't Participating in the System

Doc Shock, indeed.

An estimated seven out of every 10 physicians in deep-blue California are rebelling against the state's Obamacare health insurance exchange and won't participate, the head of the state's largest medical association said.

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California offers one of the lowest government reimbursement rates in the country -- 30 percent lower than federal Medicare payments. And reimbursement rates for some procedures are even lower.

Details of the reimbursement rates omitted; check the article. Spoiler: They're quite low.

In order to hide from the public the large number of doctors refusing to participate in the system, Covered California is resorting to, get this, lying.

Only in September did insurance companies disclose that their rates would be pegged to California’s Medicaid plan, called Medi-Cal. That's driven many doctors to just say no.

They're also pointing out that Covered California's website lists many doctors as participants when they aren't.

“Some physicians have been put in the network and they were included basically without their permission,” Lisa Folberg said. She is a CMA’s vice president of medical and regulatory Policy.
ontra Costa Medical Association.

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“This is a dirty little secret that is not really talked about as they promote Covered California,” Waters said. He called the exchange's doctors list a “shell game” because “the vast majority” of his doctors are not participating.

Independent insurance brokers who work with both insurance companies and doctor networks estimate that about 70 percent of California's 104,000 licensed doctors are boycotting the exchange.

Covered California, on the other hand, claims 85% of doctors are participating. Someone is obviously extremely wrong here -- or extremely dishonest.

Seven out of Ten Doctors Are Boycotting Obamacare in California, and Aren't Participating in the System&bodytext=Doc Shock, indeed. An estimated seven out of every 10 physicians in deep-blue California are rebelling against the state's Obamacare health insurance exchange and won't participate, the head of the state's largest medical association said. ... California offers one of...&topic=world_news"> posted by Ace at 07:57 PM

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