Academic Urology Important Message for IBC Patients
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Academic Urology Out of Independence Blue Cross Network
(December 1, 2011—King of Prussia, PA) Academic Urology, the largest urology specialty medical group in Pennsylvania and largest provider of urology services to Independence Blue Cross (IBC) subscribers, is no longer a participating provider for IBC insurance plans. Academic Urology’s current contract with IBC expired on November 30, 2011. Approximately 30,000 patients are impacted by IBC’s decision not to renew its contract with Academic Urology.
IBC drops Academic Urology, effective December 1, 2011.
“According to our analysis, IBC’s “take it or leave it” contract offer to Academic Urology would cut our reimbursement by 38 percent from the rates the insurer agreed to pay in our most recent four year contract”.
“A reduction of that magnitude does not allow us to provide the quality care necessary for our patients. Unfortunately, IBC continually declined to negotiate despite our repeated requests and an outcry from hundreds of patients. We feel the insurer has put its business interests ahead of patient care.”
Academic Urology Opts Out of Independence Blue Cross Network
Academic Urology, the largest urology specialty medical group in Pennsylvania and largest provider of urology services to Independence . Dispute as an Independence Blue Cross relationship ends
Philadelphia Business Journal
IBC says it is open to discussing a pay-for-performance contract with Academic Urology. Academic Urology, the largest urology group in PA
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2011/12/01/dispute-as-independence-blue-cross.html
Academic Urology out of Independence Blue Cross
Academic Urology, the largest urology specialty medical group in Pennsylvania and largest provider of urology services to Independence …
Blue Cross/Blue Shield also has a contract with the federal government to review and process Medicare claims. The association proved to be particularly active lobbying Congress during the health care reform debates of 2009 and 2010. It has also lobbied Congress to make it harder for the government to penalize companies if their employees defraud the Medicare program and process false claims. Local Blue Cross chapters have paid about $340 million to the federal government to settle Medicare fraud charges since 1993.
http://209.190.229.99/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000109&lname=Blue+Cross%2FBlue+Shield
Lobbying Top Recipients, 2011-2012
Candidate Amount
Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI) $36,750
Hatch, Orrin G (R-UT) $26,500
Camp, Dave (R-MI) $20,000
Boehner, John (R-OH) $18,400
Santorum, Rick (R) $18,000
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000109&lname=Blue+Cross%2FBlue+Shield
Total Lobbying Expenditures: $15,855,834
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000109
Lobbying On Behalf of Blue Cross/Blue Shield $94,520,000 Spent
Names of Lobbyists
http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/blue-crossblue-shield/1a61b00cd94743a4858898a3d4437047
The insurance industry’s four “Blues” – via Highmark, Independence Blue Cross, Capital Blue Cross and the Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association – spent a total of $1.8 million to lobby Harrisburg in 2010. The Blues are sitting on a $6 billion surplus and used to contribute money to help pay for over 40,000 working Pennsylvanians to receive adultBasic health insurance. They stopped paying shortly before Gov. Corbett took office, and Corbett – who received $75,000 in political contributions from the Blues’ PACs and executives – killed the adultBasic health insurance program instead of asking his insurance industry backers to continue its funding.
http://www.hypocrisywatchpa.com/?p=137
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