Dive Brief:
- Academic medical centers are concerned about the possibility of being excluded from health insurance exchange plans because their costs are higher than other hospitals.
- AMCs say they're afraid being excluded will not only undermine their missions to teach and do research, but also put pressure on the margins needed to sustain high-quality specialized care.
- That being said, problems faced by the AMCs are not unique to them; a broad range of hospitals are being told "This is our rate -- take it or leave it" by health plans, notes a story in HealthLeaders.
Dive Insight:
Academic medical centers may have it the worst, as they run expensive programs that require extra investment to survive. But the truth is that any hospital will balk if they're offered compensation that falls 30% below market for exchange plans, especially if they're taking on the long-term chronically ill. At this point, it's time someone took the health plans to the woodshed and told them that this tactic is unsustainable -- and unacceptable. Obama administration, it's time to speak up.