Should you join insurance networks?
In many new providers' rush to build a new practice or to shore up a standing practice, they rush blindly into joining networks. There are many factors you should consider before doing that. The laws are changing - mostly directed by the insurance companies - as you read. The contracts that providers are asked to sign have blurry definitions and include massive clerical requirements. For example, many contracts say that the provider has to accept whatever the insuror wants to pay and that they cannot collect a difference from the patient. Most clinicians assume that fair business practices will be followed in the interpretation of these contracts but in a volatile economy it's the less powerful, perhaps quieter professional serving lower income patients who may be squeezed. There is also the question of whether insurance payments are based on income demographics which could adversely affect the rates paid in lower income communities.
We look forward to hearing from you? What have your experiences been?
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