By Dr. Karen Ilika Wow!
The insurance issues have been the biggest snarls in getting this
practice launched. There is mass confusion at some of the insurance
companies which has resulted in my name still being associated with
Virginia Mason, a failure of the insurers to respond to requests by me
and by VM to update their information for our patients, and delays in
processing my new applications. Patients are also being misinformed by
the customer service representatives causing much confusion and
frustration.
I have completed contracts from Aetna, First
Choice, United HealthCare, OneHealth Plan, Uniform Medical, PHCS,
Premera, and Regence.
To further confuse things, each
insurance company has multiple plans, and depending on what your
employer has negotiated, only some of my services may be covered on
your plan. The only way to be absolutely sure is to contact the
customer service number on your medical insurance ID card. That way if
you are given incorrect information, you can successfully appeal if
your claim is denied for some reason.
