LAW


A bitter pill Physicians seek justice for network terminations


Houston ophthalmologist Albert Lin, MD, is one of thousands of Texas physicians who received a letter last year notifying him he’d no longer be part of UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage network effective Jan. 1.


“I think United’s actions will ultimately hurt


patient care and the company financially.”


BY CRYSTAL ZUZEK When insurance companies make business decisions that could have negative implications for Medicare patients’ access to care and treatment con- tinuity, it’s a bitter pill for physicians. Thousands of Texas physicians discovered last fall they’d been terminated from UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans. Houston ophthalmologist Albert Lin, MD, was among them. He received a letter notifying him in August that he’d no longer be part of the network effective Jan. 1.


March 2014 TEXAS MEDICINE 39


JIM LINCOLN


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68