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May 2, 2008 - 9:36PM
Cigna, Catholic Healthcare failed on ‘do no harm’
Comments | RecommendTribune Editorial
No one has a guarantee they will be able to visit the same doctor or medical clinic year after year, unless they are paying 100 percent of their own health care bills.
Employers frequently switch health insurance providers to get the best deal for their workers. And health insurance companies sign contracts that last only a couple of years with hospitals and large medical partnerships.
But many people and doctors prefer to develop long-term relationships, which research shows often leads to better health. And even those clients who don’t have attachments still require a fair amount of time to find new physicians who will accept them and their insurance company.
So it was unconscionable that Cigna HealthCare and Catholic Healthcare West failed to adequately warn customers that contract negotiations were deadlocked and health care payments could be seriously disrupted.
Tribune writer Edward Gately reported that Cigna’s master contract expired Friday, but most doctors and patients didn’t receive any notice until Monday. A news release issued Wednesday by Cigna informing clients about their options should have been shared with them at least a couple of weeks earlier.
Cigna and Catholic Healthcare West might have sincerely believed they would work out their differences in time to prevent any lapse in coverage. But they didn’t, and now they’ve created widespread confusion and anxiety among thousands of customers who wonder if they can afford to stay with their current doctor or if they must quickly find someone else who accepts Cigna.
These major health care players had a moral obligation to keep their customers informed so they could make timely, unrushed decisions about their own medical needs.
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