Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Pre-existing Conditions
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Old 09-17-2020, 02:25 PM
OrangeBlossomBaby OrangeBlossomBaby is offline
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Originally Posted by Kilmacowen View Post
Yes, you could keep your doctor. However your doctor doesn't have to keep you. Many doctors would not accept ACA insurance.
"ACA" insurance is mostly myth and doctors "accepting" insurance is mostly myth. The insurance company I have health care with is FloridaBlue, which is an offshoot of Anthem Blue Cross. Most doctors in the area are participating providers, and "in network" physicians.

There are other insurance companies that don't require a participating provider; you go to your doctor, you (the patient) submit the claim, just like we used to do back in the day before HMOs were invented, and the insurance company either accepts your claim and reimburses you, or they don't. The doctor has no say in the matter, he has no part of the decision. That's one of those old fashioned 80/20 plans that still exist, and some of them are options for people in some states who qualify for ACA subsidies.

In addition, the ACA isn't an insurance. It is a set of guidelines, and it's a subsidy option for people who fall within a certain income range. It isn't even technically a subsidy - it's a tax rebate. People who have never paid into the system - are not eligible for ACA subsidies. In the state of Florida, you must have a certain MINIMUM income, in order to qualify for ACA subsidies. That is why I still work part time, even though I theoretically retired from the workforce two years ago.

However, that means they probably qualify for Medicaid, which is a whole other system.