Preferred Care Partners
 

I signed up for PCP for the coming new year. Today I learned something I didn't know before. Went out to Mid-Florida Eye as I wanted to make a future app't. Was asked if I live in Lake County (I don't) so then was told that they ONLY take patients from Lake County....and I believe they're located in Marion Cnty. Isn't this strange?? I thought that as long as the practices were "in network" one could choose from anyone within it! I should calle the PCP 800# and ask what gives. Has anyone else run into this issue??

Bump!

I am an independent agent and am authorized to offer several companies, including Preferred Care Partners. This situation at Mid-Florida Eye didn't sound right, so I double checked with PCP, and here is their response "Our clients can see any provider in the network regardless of county." Obviously whoever you talked to at Mid-Florida were not informed on their PCP contract details. I've never heard any medical office here offer that response! You should call Mid-Florida main office and try again.

THANK YOU!!! (not shouting just emphasizing!!!) I was puzzled with that one too! They asked what county I lived in...Sumter...and then proceded to tell me I'd need to go to a clinic called Omni Eye in Ocala!!! Mid-Florida in T.V. is in Marion! I will call so want to thank you for this information!!!!

I just called Mid-Florida Eye's main office and spoke to someone there. I was told I need to see an "in-network" optometrist and have HIM refer me to Mid-Florida Eye, THEN I can be seen by one of the specialists (that is, if I have an issue that he'd need to address). Their optometrists aren't covered by PCP!!! This seems really goofy! Lange Eye is the PCP preferance for optometrists. I should just go there then it would seem. I'd heard some good, some not so good about Lange. I'd heard Excellant things about MFE!!! This was ALL confirmed by PCP whom I called as well after speaking to the woman with Mid-Florida Eye. Now I'm wondering if PCP really is the way I want to go. Anyone else have thoughts on this??????

bump

We were considering a medicare advantage plan also. Too much information to digest so I just asked my primary care physician about it and was told that I should not change from my medicare with supplement. I do have Type II Diabetes and atrial fibrillation and it seems I may NEED a referral to a doctor that is "out of network" and it would cost quite a bit to do that.
I just decided to "shelve it" for this coming year and see how it is working for those who did switch. It seems to me it would be fine for someone with little or no health issues. I would love to save these premiums I'm paying to Medicare and AARP but I'm so afraid of losing it and not being able to "get it back" without a big premium increase due to pre-existing conditions.
Good luck with your choice. I hope it works real well for you.
BTW, I also have glaucoma and went to a dr at Lange when we first moved here. He did a lot of tests and gave me a new, generic eyedrop and wanted me to come back in a month to see if it was working. About 3 weeks later, his office called and said he was not going to be coming to TV any more and I'd have to go to Ocala to see him. I tried to make an appointment with another Lange dr in TV and was told it would be several weeks before I could be seen. I then made an appointment with Dr. Elmallah at Ocala Eye but my new drops had run out and I had reverted back to my old, tier 3 drops before my appointment so we have no idea if the generic worked. Dr. Elmallah did not want to put me on a generic drop. Getting doctors lined up has been the biggest challenge of our move to TV!

Thank you Wendyquat.....Your comments are appreciated. We all have to be our own advocates with the medical profession. This was the case before moving here (at least for me) so I haven't minded it, really! Though I already had established myself with providers and now have to change over to new ones again. The savings will be worth it probably! IF for some reason I don't like it I'll change to something different for 2013. With your heart issues I can see why you wanted to stay with your present situation. Dr. Elmalleh has been my eye doctor as well and I think he's very good!! Unfortunately Ocala Eye isn't a part of PCP and won't be....I checked!!! I'd have preferred to remain there, truth be told.

Change for PCP eye care...
 

Was going to make an appointment over at the WalMart on 441 a week or so ago. In the conversation found out that PCP no longer is carried at Mid-Florida Eye. In conversing with an agent at the PCP office found out that this is true. Patients are now to go to The Villages Eye Institute over on 441. Does anyone know anything about this practice and it's doctors? Would be curious to find out. I've been happy so far with PCP but feel they really need to recruit doctors for their dental and eye care! It's slim pickins!!!

I am in Sumter Co and a few months ago I had an exam and saw the retina specialist at MFE and it just cost me a $10 copay.

Yes...but MFE is NO longer a part of Preferred Care Partners AS OF MARCH sometime! I'm not shouting just using this for emphasis! So the new question is....has anyone had experience with "The Villages Eye Institute". It's located across 441 from the WalMart...take a left turn I think, at the light past Billy's.

Hubby and I saw Dr. Heidi Gonzales at The Villages Eye Institute. We were happy with the exam and the staff. She is on the staff of the Perich Eye Center and they have several other offices, all south of The Villages. I didn't know that Mid-Florida Eye had pulled out of PCP. My husband used to see Dr. Panzo there. I heard a while ago that Lange Eye also pulled out due to not being paid for services by PCP. (This is not the first complaint I have heard about them not paying) The latest news is that PCP was bought out by United Healthcare. Can anyone confirm this? I have no idea what this means for those of us on this insurance. All in all, I'm not sure I like what I am hearing about this company and I am a little worried about the future if we stay with them. I think we will be looking at other options later this year.

Thanks for your response! We can always pull at next year "IF" things go 'south' with them. I went with them due to everyone I'd talked with, who had them, liked being with them. I said I'd try it for a year then re-evaluate! I would wonder who said this about UHC buying them out. Rumors again!! I'm just going on my personal experiences with them and other than the dental and eye not having enough choices---I'm happy!

Not a rumor that United Healthcare is buying Preferred Care Partners......apparently, the deal has not yet gone through.

UnitedHealthcare buys Preferred Care, Medica HMOs - Florida - MiamiHerald.com

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflor...preferred.html

We also have been happy with PCP, even though it has sometimes been difficult to find good doctors and dentists. I was hoping that more and more professionals would sign on with this insurance company, instead of some of the good ones pulling out as we are now seeing. Perhaps we will have the same provider choices that the folks on United Healthcare plans have, and we can only hope there are more than we have now with PCP.

Amen to that...for sure!!! I mean hoping to get more doctors AND that we'd have more choices as well. Feel in some ways we're limited!

Went to Mid Fla Eye today for a retina checkup(a followup patient from cataract surgery). Was told that PCP cancelled the office(not the other way around). Was also told that I could not be treated because I could not have followup. Was told that I must find a new eye dr who takes the ins to have the procedure which need on my retina.