Student Doctor Network Forums - View Single Post - Medicare to cut office pain reimbursement by 20% or more this year

Member 14006 · 06-02-2007, 07:53 AM

united... i strongly encourage everybody to break their contracts w/ united...

their contracted pain rates are a disaster - their service is a disaster (for example, they are having a "computer issue" for the last week and therefore remittances/claims can't be processes without any clear date for a fix), and once you sign a contract they will never raise your rates...

so now i am out of network with them, still seeing their patients as out-of-network, and making 4-5 times what they would have paid in network...

so after making tons of money off them i returned to the negotiating table to point out that maybe it would be beneficial for them to give me higher rates and make me in-network... and do you know what they said: "they don't increase rates in negotiations with solo practitioners" .... fine with me, they can continue paying me $400 for 99244 and $950 for 64483, 64484, 77003 (professional fees as i am currently hospital based).... what a bunch of idiots...

the good news is that I don't need united to survive - i feel bad for those docs who don't have a choice and must accept united to make a living.

one of my son's doctors has a sign in the waiting room: "I didn't choose your insurance company, you did... "

06-02-2007, 07:53 AM	#16
Member 14006 Senior Member Status: Attending Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 5,121	united... i strongly encourage everybody to break their contracts w/ united... their contracted pain rates are a disaster - their service is a disaster (for example, they are having a "computer issue" for the last week and therefore remittances/claims can't be processes without any clear date for a fix), and once you sign a contract they will never raise your rates... so now i am out of network with them, still seeing their patients as out-of-network, and making 4-5 times what they would have paid in network... so after making tons of money off them i returned to the negotiating table to point out that maybe it would be beneficial for them to give me higher rates and make me in-network... and do you know what they said: "they don't increase rates in negotiations with solo practitioners" .... fine with me, they can continue paying me $400 for 99244 and $950 for 64483, 64484, 77003 (professional fees as i am currently hospital based).... what a bunch of idiots... the good news is that I don't need united to survive - i feel bad for those docs who don't have a choice and must accept united to make a living. one of my son's doctors has a sign in the waiting room: "I didn't choose your insurance company, you did... "