3 ways insurers can discourage sick from enrolling

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_INSURERS_SICK_PATIENTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-08-27-15-09-24

***SNIP

- FORM NARROW NETWORKS

Insurers can lower their chances for covering patients with expensive medical conditions like cancer and autism simply by limiting the number of doctors and hospitals in a coverage network. That would send those patients searching for coverage elsewhere because they don't want to pay expensive, out-of-network rates.

***SNIP

- CAUSE PRESCRIPTION STICKER SHOCK

Some plans are requiring patients to initially pay 30 percent or more of the bill for drugs that can cost several thousand dollars a month. HIV drugs and multiple sclerosis medications are among them.

***SNIP

- ENTER MARKETS CAUTIOUSLY

Another way insurers might land a healthier population is by playing the waiting game.

The nation's largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc., will dive into the overhaul's public insurance exchanges with plans to sell 2015 individual coverage in 24 exchanges. That's up from only four in 2014.

[littlemissmartypants]

1. I hope this gets many reads. Thank you. nt

[Hoyt]

2. Don't doubt it. The other side is that some well-known cancer and other providers are

refusing to participate in networks in an effort to get more money, increasing premiums.

There is lots of jockeying in this by all parties. Even the government, by refusing a public option which would have likely covered a lot of very sick people.