About three weeks ago, Medicaid patients in Lane County were informed that by January 1, PeaceHealth primary care doctors and specialists would stop contracting with Trillium insurance plans and use Pacific Source instead. The move has created some confusion, but one Medicaid health care provider sees change as a good thing.
White Bird Medical Clinic serves some of the counties’ lowest-income patients. Clinic coordinator Chris Hecht says having to switch insurers has caused their clients some anxiety. But he adds, the creation of a second insurer system could be a plus.
“Until now there really hasn’t been much option for those who want to care for people on Medicaid and-- now with that option is open-- we may be seeing some change because of the freedom that those two providers affords.”
Hecht says White Bird will continue to serve patients covered by Trillium. His medical staff can also sit down with Medicaid patients to help make any insurance carrier changes before the first of the year.
(Listen to more on Lane County's Medicaid coverage contract changes in the audio file below.)
