ASHN

[Guest guest]

has anyone worked with the provider network called American Specialty

Health Networks? they started in California and just contracted with US

West and Intel up here in Portland. I'm interested in them because the

provide chinese herbs from their own pharmacy to some of their insurees,

depending on the plan. they use brion capsules and probotanixx and they

have a pretty large selection. they also require your treament plans to

be approved by their staff acupuncturists. They require a bit of

paperwork, but their approach to standards of care is interesting. I

don't like the idea of having my treament plans require preapproval by

someone who has never seen the patient, but they are all l.ac.'s

themselves, at least. I also want to provide herbal services to

insurees who often pass becasue of the added expense.

[Guest guest]

I am, in principle, against such 'provider networks'.. I support

acupunturist-owned provider networks, who, unfortunately, here in

California have had limited success because of their inability to compete

with the 'big boys'. I vehemently oppose these networks providing and

selling the herbs, and reviewing the practitioner's diagnosis and

treatment, especially with the limited codes available. I've been in this

field 18 years. . . .someone with five years experience is going to approve

my work (hypothetical situation)?

 

 

 

 

 

> " " <herb-t

>

>has anyone worked with the provider network called American Specialty

>Health Networks? they started in California and just contracted with US

>West and Intel up here in Portland. I'm interested in them because the

>provide chinese herbs from their own pharmacy to some of their insurees,

>depending on the plan. they use brion capsules and probotanixx and they

>have a pretty large selection. they also require your treament plans to

>be approved by their staff acupuncturists. They require a bit of

>paperwork, but their approach to standards of care is interesting. I

>don't like the idea of having my treament plans require preapproval by

>someone who has never seen the patient, but they are all l.ac.'s

>themselves, at least. I also want to provide herbal services to

>insurees who often pass becasue of the added expense.

>

>

[Guest guest]

 

I just jumped through all of ASHE's burning hoops to get my clinic

accepted into their plan but once they sent me all of the operations

materials including about 20 different forms to fill out for each

patient, I've decided to terminate my contract with them. It would take

at least one and maybe two office staff to deal with all this paperwork!

We don't have any designated office staff and don't plan on getting any.

I also don't want to be micro-managed by L.Ac.-Beaurocrats scrutinizing

my approach to treatment. I do applaud their efforts at legitimizing our

field through their high level of organization but I prefer to keep my

clinic more " low-key " than is required by their approach. Besides, we

stay pretty busy already.

 

Mark

[Guest guest]

I agree with Z'ev and Dave, how can some one who has never seen a patient

" approve " your treatment plan.

Further, herbs are not that expensive, if some one needs them they can

nearly always pay and the ones who can't aren't likely to have insurance.

not to mention that insurance is a scam to start with.........preying on

people's fears, disgusting if you ask me. Let's not forget one of the

reasons medical care is so expensive is the insurance scam.........

 

Just my two cents on an issue that would be a none issue in a conscious

society,

thomas