Connecticut: Doctors Saying No to ObamaCare Plans

SAPERSTONE Jerry we spoke ░░░░░░░░ a Trumbull doctor today ░░░░░░░░ chose not to accept ░░░░░░░░ majority of the health ░░░░░░░░ offered on the state ░░░░░░░░ care exchange and there ░░░░░░░░ a big reason why ░░░░░░░░ Stephen Levine has been ░░░░░░░░ ear nose and throat ░░░░░░░░ for decades so he ░░░░░░░░ seen it all He ░░░░░░░░ made a decision that ░░░░░░░░ Trumbull practice won t ░░░░░░░░ most Affordable Care Act ░░░░░░░░ plans offered on the ░░░░░░░░ health care exchange LEVINE ░░░░░░░░ we saw what those ░░░░░░░░ plans were paying the ░░░░░░░░ that we could not ░░░░░░░░ we did not SAPERSTONE ░░░░░░░░ Levine says plain and ░░░░░░░░ the reimbursement rate on ░░░░░░░░ of the plans are ░░░░░░░░ low LEVINE And in ░░░░░░░░ case of a fair ░░░░░░░░ of them they re ░░░░░░░░ at rates that are ░░░░░░░░ absolutely worse than Medicare ░░░░░░░░ almost the level of ░░░░░░░░ Medicaid SAPERSTONE Levine s ░░░░░░░░ isn t the only ░░░░░░░░ in Connecticut opting not ░░░░░░░░ accept the new health ░░░░░░░░ plans and some patients ░░░░░░░░ been finding out the ░░░░░░░░ way On Friday a ░░░░░░░░ woman told us her ░░░░░░░░ s office would not ░░░░░░░░ her new insurance LAROSE ░░░░░░░░ broke my heart I ░░░░░░░░ to say I ve ░░░░░░░░ waiting a year and ░░░░░░░░ half this is my ░░░░░░░░ doctor SAPERSTONE This new ░░░░░░░░ comes as Connecticut patients ░░░░░░░░ finally receiving their new ░░░░░░░░ ID cards Dr Michael ░░░░░░░░ is a Fairfield orthopedist ░░░░░░░░ office is accepting ObamaCare ░░░░░░░░ But he says there ░░░░░░░░ challenges for all physicians ░░░░░░░░ There s uncertainty It ░░░░░░░░ a radically different program ░░░░░░░░ just a new insurer ░░░░░░░░ Dr Levine says physicians ░░░░░░░░ being put in a ░░░░░░░░ position LEVINE When there ░░░░░░░░ intrusion into our ability ░░░░░░░░ do that in an ░░░░░░░░ way it s very ░░░░░░░░ and very painful for ░░░░░░░░ but of course much ░░░░░░░░ so for the patients ░░░░░░░░ And Dr Levine says ░░░░░░░░ do accept one exchange ░░░░░░░░ from HealthyCT Meanwhile officials ░░░░░░░░ the state health care ░░░░░░░░ tell us they are ░░░░░░░░ this issue I m ░░░░░░░░ Saperstone, NBC Connecticut News.”