Temple doctors reject health plan
Temple University physicians are dropping a major health insurance plan from the plans they accept. They say they could not work out a deal with the insurance company for fair payments. From WHYY’s health and science desk Kerry Grens reports.
Transcript:
Keystone Mercy health plan is the largest medicaid health insurance in the area — with more than 200,000 members. Come September Temple University physicians will no longer accept the plan — causing about 11,000 patients to make a decision — change their health plan or go somewhere else. Ray Betzner, Temple University’s spokesman says the physicians’ group could no longer afford to work with Keystone Mercy.
Betzner: “Temple university physicians and Temple University health system are the primary safety net for uncompensated care for the city of philadelphia. We remain dedicated to continuing a long and proud tradition of providing care for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. But TUP has sustained significant financial losses in treating those patients.”
Betzner says doctors earned about eight million dollars for providing twenty million dollars of care. Patients will not be turned away if they come to the emergency room and they can switch free of charge to other medicaid health plans. In a statement, a Keystone Mercy spokesman said the company intends to negotiate new contracts with Temple health system and physicians.
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