Now that coverage has kicked in for millions of Americans whose insurance was obtained through the federal- or state-run exchanges, it appears that many policyholders aren't pleased with their plans – to the point of walking out of hospitals without being given treatment, in some instances.
The Daily Mail reported that as many as 33 percent of policyholders have run into issues with their insurance companies after their applications were sent to insurers by government operatives, either at the state or federal level, depending on what marketplaces they used. Some patients were told by their physicians that they would have to shoulder all of their health care costs because they couldn't corroborate the fact that they were covered.
"The people in there told me that since I didn't have an insurance card, I would be billed for the whole cost of the x-ray," Maria Galvez, a Springfield, Ill. resident, told the Daily Mail. She admitted herself to a local hospital due to some breathing issues. "It's not fair – you know, I signed up last week like I was supposed to."
Consumers aren't the only ones who have expressed confusion and frustration in the wake of the ACA. According to a report released by nonprofit organization the Physicians Foundation, many physicians are expecting to be overloaded with questions from their fellow physicians, patients and businesses about the ACA and whether their practices accept employee benefits, among other plan offerings.
Lou Goodman, Ph.D., and president of the Physicians Foundation, indicated that the health care law and system in its current form will likely lead to higher operating costs and premiums, not to mention more bureaucratic red tape to cut through due to tighter regulations.
