September/October 2016
Dear PARENTS and other CAREGIVERS:
WE DID NOTdecideto pull out of United Health Care/Oxford. WE DID NOT decide not to participate with them. Why would we do that? You and your family members have been our patients for years and years and we would never abandon you. United Health Care/Oxford sent us a letter telling us that they decided to remove us from their network on 8/21/2017. This is ABSURD and is downright dangerous to your child’s / children’s wellbeing. We have all heard of how health insurance carriers abruptly can drop their insureds, cancel programs and the like, and this is an example of how they have exercised their muscle to reduce their provider network, by electing not to renew our agreement with them. This is dangerous, scary and absurd. And this is done in the face of a great shortage of pediatricians across the country.
When United Health Care/Oxford notified us that they have elected not to renew our participating provider status with them, we immediately contacted United/Oxford and a representative from their office visited with us. The representative had no clue that we were being ‘booted’ from their network and in fact United Health Care and Oxford have both told us repeatedly over the past several years that we DO A VERY GOOD JOB of seeing and treating their members, your child, your children.
The letter sent to you by United Health Care/Oxford is presented to you in a manner which makes you believe we elected not to see your kids. THIS AGAIN IS NOT TRUE. You are and have been our patients and we embrace you for being with us often through family generations.
United/Oxford asks you to select another PCP, but makes no mention that you also have the right to switch to another health insurance carrier if you so desire. And, since they state that we will not participate with them from 8/21/2017 onward, they are asking you to switch to another PCP now at the worst time for your child/children. A time when school has just started up, flu season is around us and with the onset of winter, children will and do get sick. Do you really want to ‘start’ fresh with a new doctor who knows nothing of your child, your children and your family, as we do? The answer of course is a simple NO.
Several patients have sent us copies of the letter sent by United/Oxford to you. As you can see from the United/Oxford letter to you, they don’t even give you a telephone number to call them to express your concerns. Rather they convey to you that it is the doctor who has decided not to see you. This of course is again NOT TRUE. This is the callousness and deception displayed to you by your health insurance carrier.
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We want to continue to be your doctor. We want to continue to participate with United/Oxford. YOU CAN assist in this process. Enclosed are three letters which you can complete, sign and mail. The postage is paid for you. Two are directed to United Health Care/Oxford, the third is directed to the New York State Bureau of Managed Care. It is imperative for them to know that United/Oxford has made such a move against your physician’s office and you, as their members,ask them to intervene on your behalf as well as ours, because again, we want to continue to see you and your family. And from the reaction we have received from countless parents over the past week, we know you want us to remain active providers in their networks.
Time is of the essence.
Read the enclosed letters.
Sign them.
Send them without delay. We’ve put the postage on for you!
In closing… You child/children are valued members of our office. You, as parents and caregivers are very important to us as well. I am available to discuss this United Health Care/Oxford nightmare with you should you desire to speak with me. I can be reached at 718-513-2082. If you get my voice mail, please leave a message being certain to speak your name and telephone number clearly.
Sincerely yours,
Martin I. Berman, CEO, Comprehensive Pediatrics