Cameron Regional Medical Center will hold an open house tonight to help area residents understand health care program changes, including Medicaid enrollment and shifting Medicare Advantage coverage.
The event begins at 5 p.m. at the hospital’s offices on Mickel Lane Drive in Cameron. A free dinner will be provided.
Assistant Administrator and Marketing Director Carol Arthur said the hospital expects strong attendance due to uncertainty surrounding expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and changes in insurance coverage.
“I think we’ll probably have maybe a little bit higher attendance tomorrow evening, just for that very reason,” Arthur said. “There are so many uncertainties out there in the marketplace.”
Congress is expected to vote in December on whether to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that help many Americans afford health insurance. In the meantime, patients and providers are facing confusion about coverage and payments.
Arthur said many hospitals, including Cameron Regional, are struggling with Medicare Advantage plans—private insurance options for seniors that she says often complicate care delivery.
“Medicare Advantage plans are very difficult from a provider aspect to deal with,” Arthur said. “They delay care, they deny care, they ration care, and a lot of times they refuse to pay. Hospitals have come to the end of the rope. They can’t afford to continue providing quality services and then not get paid.”
Arthur said the hospital is hearing from many seniors worried about changes to their insurance. Tonight’s event will give them a chance to get answers and assistance with their applications.