Aetna says, "Our network agreement with UW Medicine ends on May 31, 2025. While our discussions continue, without a new agreement, UW Medicine hospitals and providers will be out of network for Aetna Commercial and Medicare Advantage health plans after that date."
Even though information from both UW and Aetna says that patients can continue to see their doctors during the negotiations, UW Medicine is cancelling patient appointments in May and declining offers from patients to pay for visits.
Strongly encouraging my employer, The Boeing Company, who contracts retiree medical with Aetna, to dump Aetna and look elsewhere due to inability to reach contract with UW Medicine and their affiliates. Here in the Seattle area UW Medicine, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Ctr, Children’s Hospital are premier medical providers and are all now out of network and you’re adversely affecting so many lives. Fed completely up with Aetna and hoping they can get their retirees a more stable medical plan.
ReplyDeleteSame boat here as Boeing retiree..they are leaving us all stranded & its disgusting!!
DeleteAs a Boeing Retiree on the Aetna Plan I was told by U W Medicine that after June 1 I could continue to receive care at U W Medicine as the plan retirees have is a PPO ESA Plan. Aetna Confirmed this same information. U W Medcine said "There will be no impact to access or out-of-pocket costs for members of Aetna’s PPO ESA plan. We will continue to bill Aetna if the termination goes through." I called Aetna again, and they stated that same concept." As a mitigation plan for myself, I will, I contacted an independant insurance provider who has given me options to change my plan to traditional Medicare vs the Advantage Plan during the open enrollment period this November. The agent also said that IF the insurance (for retirees was cancelled, by law, a Special Enrollment would be allowed for me to continue to use my providers who have been sucked into U W Medicine over the years. I think they need to stop thinking profit share and really focus on healthcare.
ReplyDeleteAnd ONE MORE REASON we need single payor healthcare in this country.
ReplyDeleteDon’t think single payor will solve this one at all. Skilled medical folks who at the top of their game and ability to
DeleteSave lives. They are not going to settle for a a certain payment determined by the government or an outside source. Oversimplification. There would have to
Be a big buy in by the medical community.
We are a COSTCO family and COSTCO uses Aetna for all employee and family medical insurance. We have all been UW Med patients for over 20 years. Aetna does not care for its members and has been difficult to deal with for years. We have seen the provider list shrink each year as medical entities refuse to do business with them. We hope COSTCO chooses to end their relationship with Aetna, even if it means a temporary lack of coverage at UW Medicine in the hopes of partnering with a more adequate insurance provider. These negotiation scare tactics on behalf of Aetna have become a normal business practice and they are dangerous and greedy. Shame on Aetna!
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