The New Year is about to begin, and I’m now closely connected with people who are shifting to a new provider network because their health plan sponsor changed insurers.
On the one hand, the new coverage seems to be great, platinum-level coverage.
The plan switchers are healthy. All they usually need is need checkups, and an occasional dose of reassurance about a nagging cough.
The fact that the new plan has a shorter provider directory should not be that big of a deal, because the physicians in the new directory appear to be world-class physicians.
But, on the other hand, the plan switchers are still facing what to them seems like a nightmare.
In theory, there’s nothing so terrible about asking healthy people to shift from one world-class primary care doctor to make the U.S. health care system more efficient.
In reality, a network shift highlights other weaknesses in the U.S. health care system.
See also: Plan design changes expand ‘skin protector’ market
One issue is that, even though care coordination is a popular buzzword, provider directories do nothing to support enrollees who want well-coordinated care.