DW and I signed up for the Colony clinic. After we did all of the paperwork, we were given a choice of doctors and picked the one that looked like the best fit for us. We had initial appointments with him and are quite happy with the care. She injured her foot last Thursday night and a call on Friday am got her in within a couple of hours to see the doctor.
If you go to their website, you'll see a long list of insurance carriers for which they are a preferred provider. We took my health insurance into retirement (Blue Cross) and will continue it as secondary after we start Medicare.
While I suspect that UHC and the Villages Health may have a "special partnership", no provider in their right mind will stop accepting assignment for the major healthcare plans. And I have no doubt that part of the rationale for the new clinics is the incentives for "accountable care organizations." But then again, I haven't seen any criticism for other companies accepting incentives/credits. Simply smart business. And don't ever kid yourself, *all* hospitals, clinics, medical practices, etc are businesses. They exist to make money. (If you have not read the recent Time cover article on health care costs, you should). If they make a big deal of talking about how they are a charitable organization, firmly grip your wallet - they will make a play for it.
Ask youself why we are such a desireable demographic? Statistically, we will require more health care than younger folks. And the folks who live in the villages are likely to be affluent enough to supplemental insurance cover.
And what's the best hospital/medical center in the country? For my money, it is Duke. DW has had 4 surgeries there and the care (from the perspective of a former hospital administrator at a Harvard teaching hospital) is the best that either of us has seen (insluding Hopkins and Mass General.)
Of course, we could be wrong. We are, after all, getting forgetful in old age...
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