Quote:
Originally Posted by quinnpd
I've been with Villages Health Care (Colony Cottage) since its inception. I have traditional medicare with United Health Care supplemental plan F. Since the very start I could not tell any difference between the care I received with my current plan(s) or if the care would improve if I switched to advantage. Since I view the care from the Villages Health Care well below what I received from my primary care physician in the Midwest, I could not justify making the change to an advantage plane. I have felt for some time that I would move along and find another General Practitioner and now will being doing just that. This has never been about "better health care", it is all about the money. VHC is way over staffed and they have wonderful facilities, very large, bright and clean but you need big profit margins to continue to operate in this manner.
I've heard two different "rumors" that United Advantage pays VHS either $5000 per year and/or $800 per month per patient regardless if they are seen by physician or not (I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between) whereas traditional medicare only pays per visit??? So follow the money folks, that's what its all about. VHS will have to continue to tweek their "model" often to keep up the cost of doing business.
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You make some interesting observations.
Since you have been with the system for about 4 years and view the care as "well below" what you had before, why have you waited to change?
How do you know it's "just about the money"? Obviously, that matters to any business, but could there be other factors? There has to be a maximum number of patients they can serve with the present infrastructure. Over time, Advantage patients could be denied access if there are insufficient openings due to acceptance of all Medicare plans. Sort of like TV schools- if those in now don't follow guidelines for attendance and are allowed to remain, that penalizes those waiting to get in who would comply.
As for tweaking their business model based on results, that is what all good businesses do. Those that don't often fail.
I guess since you aren't that thrilled with the care, and were planning to move on anyway, you probably are not upset with this decision on the part of VHS.
For all who stay in (and everyone can stay in by participating in the accepted plans, similar to many business models), this should be a good thing for long term stability. I know I am counting on it.
Choice is a good thing, and everyone gets to make their own decision about whether to remain in the system. Just hope folks make their decision on facts and not RUMORS as you mentioned.
No one is being booted out, and that is a great thing.
Have a great day.