Quote:
Originally Posted by champion6
Your thoughts are quite creative and imaginative, but purely wild speculation. You imply that there is a sinister master plan to squeeze money out of patients.
WOW!
Fortunately for you, there are other choices for primary care. You may choose them and avoid the consequences that you put forth.
Good luck with your primary care.
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No, my thoughts are not "purely wild speculation". My thoughts are based on past experience with HMOs. I have been in HMOs for the past eight years and in order to keep the (nearly) full medicare refund, I have had to switch plans about 4 times. Different plans raise or lower the rebate based on whether or not they need to attract more customers.
"Sinister master plan to squeeze money out of patients" is totally
your characterization of what I said.
To further elaborate: I like my current doctor and his office is convenient to where I live (withing a few blocks). But he may be put out of business if all of his HMO patients switch over to The Villages Clinics. If that happens, I will try to get into The Villages Clinics. Although, there may be a waiting list by that time? Then if Preferred Care Parteners withdraws the rebate, like they once did, I'll be looking for another doctor, another plan. Not a happy thought.
The fact that they keep promoting the Marcus Welby model of long term doctor/patient relationships seems to run contrary to including HMO customers. It's just my observation and it sort of fits in with the fact that large corporations are in business to make money, period. There's nothing sinister about that fact, it's just a fact. I'm just thinking out loud, voicing my opinion/observation, and trying to separate the PR from what actually might happen.