Wednesday, March 09, 2016

Indianapolis Employees Left Without Health Insurance After Advantage Health Folds

A memo to all city of Indianapolis employees dated March 3, 2016 notified them that the group insurance plan offered to them through Advantage Health Solutions would terminate at the end of the month. Employees were assured their consumer-driven health plan ("CDHP") would be transitioned seamlessly to a new plan offered by Anthem. Advance Indiana has learned that employees are showing up for doctor's appointments only to learn they have no insurance.

The memo told city employees that everyone covered under Advantage's CDHP would be automatically enrolled in Anthem CDHP effective April 1 paying the same health insurance premiums and be provided the same level of coverage they received under their Advantage plan. The memo offered no reason why the Advantage plan was being terminated. The health insurance company was placed under the supervision of the Indiana Department of Insurance last November after it reported losses of $46.3 million during the first 8 months of the year. The company's owners, St. Vincent Health and St. Francis Health, were forced to make an emergency $33 million cash infusion to keep the insurer solvent.

Advantage announced last year it was terminating its Medicare Advantage alternative Medicare plan at the end of the year under which it provided private health insurance to 22,500 seniors. Hoosier seniors were sent scampering to sign up for another plan offered by other insurers at the last minute. On January 29, Advantage gave notice to state officials that it was laying off 78 workers in Indianapolis. City employees have complained for the past year they were being denied coverage for health care services they believed were covered by the Advantage plan. Lately, city employees have been stuck paying bills after their health care provider told them they were no longer insured. Mayor Greg Ballard's administration touted promised savings when the Advantage CDHP was originally rolled out to city employees.

9 comments:

  1. There is no ACA; only an administration / architect-Gruber acknowledged fraud. Who can be surprised by this?

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  2. Anonymous5:50 PM EST


    I add to Pete's line of thought--> and with the corrupt-should-be-rotting-in-federal-prison Greg Ballard involved, there is no surprise when the outcome is not what the people were told in the first place.

    Jail Jennifer Hallowell Walker as well. She enabled him.

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  3. Anonymous8:07 PM EST

    Don't let Jennifer IPS Shill off the hook so fast. Deposing her might result in her eating some criminal charges as well. And, Mrs. Walker isn't the only advisor in corruption who ought to be offered the prospect of a jail cell. Do you think those Republicans were all hot to build for us a new jail with only the thought they'd get first dibs on the luxury suites?

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  4. Before ACA, a previous employer used Advantage, though their network of physicians was rather thin it paid it's reasonable share and it didn't cost a whole lot to either the company or me. beat paying out the wahzoo for Anthem.

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  5. See also: USW 1046 where Obamacare's 40% Cadillac Tax provision is about to kick in and employers are reacting to the penalization in the predictable (and reasonable) way: telling employees they will have to share in the pain.

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  6. C. Roger Csee9:44 AM EST

    WOW! You mean that health care is NOT free! And that I CAN'T keep my healthcare plan if I like it!
    etc. etc. etc.
    WHEN will people start listening, instead of being sheeple?

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  7. Anonymous2:14 PM EST

    The Advantage of being under the purview of a State Insurance Commissioner rather than one from a state with lax regulations.

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  8. Anonymous4:13 PM EST

    More people who will be screaming for single payer. Why, it's almost as if this was the plan all along...

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  9. Anonymous10:39 AM EST

    The terming of the City County plans stems from the fact that City County failed to pay its premium in a timely manner - repeatedly! They were given notice that they risked being termed. This has nothing to do with ACA or Advantage's current status except for the fact they were no longer willing to risk not getting paid by City County.

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