NCMS President Michael Moulton, MD, NCMS CEO/EVP Robert Seligson and NCMS General Counsel Stephen Keene met with physician legislators in Washington, D.C. this week. Newly elected U.S. Representative George Holding, MD, from North Carolina’s 13th District also joined them.
Discussions addressed several issues including Medicare and Medicaid funding, federal laws that are driving physician-hospital consolidation, and the impact of federal health reform on physician practices.
“The conversations were very productive,” Seligson said. “We were able to discuss issues at length with these lawmakers.”
Seligson and Keene joined other state society CEOs and lobbyists from around the country, including U.S. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, MD, representing north Texas. Representative Burgess chairs the Congressional Healthcare Caucus. One goal of the State Medical Societies is to organize stronger grassroots advocacy by physicians on federal issues affecting their practice. The AMA’s Senior VP for Advocacy Richard Deem briefed the state representatives on the major issues being discussed on Capitol Hill and coordinated the lobbying activities.
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I hope one of the discussions was about Any Willing Provider legislation. With President Obama’s ACA and all Americans having access to health care, then those same Americans should have access to any provider willing to provide them care. Because NC does not have an Any Willing Provider law, insurance companies, namely BCBS-NC, can prevent providers from being in-network. Since out of network coverage cost are so high, most patients can’t afford out of network fees, so patients are essentialy prevented for seeking their services.
I have been trying to become an in-network provider w BCBS-NC for several years. They claim they have “enough providers in network providing my services” and BCBS has always denied my application. However, I am an in-network provider for nearly every other insurance company in NC (who have a much smaller market share than BCBS-NC), including Medicare. There are several other NC physicians who have been denied by BCBS-NC as I have.
With the nation’s new ACA. All physicians should have access to provide in-network care if they chose to do so.
Lindy McHutchison, MD