Thousands of patients in a local healthcare system may be forced to switch doctors in just a few days. It’s all because of a looming deadline with their insurance company.
Aultman Health System and Humana have been in contract negotiations but if there’s no agreement by Monday, July 1, then patients might have some hard decisions to make. This has the potential to affect 7,000 patients in five Ohio counties.
Jeanne Berring, 76, from Homeworth, loves her plants and loves pruning them. However, there’s one thing that could be cut out in her life that she doesn’t like. “Almost makes you want to just punch the system as much as you can,” said Berring.
You see, she’s on Humana insurance for her medicare plan, and she drives about a half-hour to receive a lot of care at Aultman Hospital in Canton. She’s been informed through letters that if Humana and Aultman can’t come to an agreement, she might be out of luck.
“We know that changing your provider can be very difficult,” Berring read to us from one of the letters. “Aultman Hospital will no longer participate in the Humana Medicare Network (if negotiations fail).”