A number of policyholders claim that InHealth kept its decision to drop OhioHealth hospitals and doctors from its provider network a secret until the very last minute from its customers. The disgruntled consumers argued that the eleventh-hour notice the company issued left them with almost no time left to choose another health plan, trapping them with their current plans.
As many as 9,000 Ohioans were affected by InHealth’s streamlining of its provider network.
As of Feb. 9, 45 individuals filed complaints with the Ohio Department of Insurance regarding the unfair withholding of information.
Many of the dissatisfied customers—who mostly hail from Franklin or Delaware counties—claimed that they were not notified of InHealth’s plan to drop OhioHealth until just last week. A number of customers conspicuously received automated calls on Jan. 30 to sign up for health insurance through the state health exchange.
The deadline to sign up for health insurance coverage through the state exchange was on Jan. 31.
When asked for a word regarding its intentionally late notice, InHealth officials declined to make a comment. The company, however, claimed that it was doing “doing all [it] can to work in the best interests of [its] members,” in a released statement.
InHealth chose to drop OhioHealth from its provider network as far back as last January, an official revealed. Purportedly, talks to get OhioHealth to lower reimbursement rates fell apart at that point. As part of the requirements for the process, InHealth notified the Ohio Department of Insurance late on Jan. 15. This led to a 15-day review period during which department officials assess documents to ensure that insurance companies properly communicate provider network changes to their customers.
An Ohio Department of Insurance official said that nothing stops insurers from commencing the notification process during the 15-day review period. The department, however, did not encourage InHealth to notify its customers sooner.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services acting administrator Andy Slavitt said in an interview that the federal government will not create an enrollment just for those affected by InHealth’d decision. Aaron Albright, spokesperson for CMS, reassured that the federal government will review InHealth’s provider network to ensure that it serves the needs of its customers.
