United Healthcare has decided the stick is mightier than the carrot.
When you really, really want to keep your troops in line bring on the fines.
One more reason to detest UnitedHealth
More evidence of their physician-unfriendly tactics. They are going to fine physicians who don’t use their preferred lab service:
In January, United, which has 2.1-million members in Florida and about 800,000 in the Tampa Bay area, ended its contract with Quest Diagnostics Inc., the giant Lyndhurst, N.J., lab company, and signed an exclusive national agreement with Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings of Burlington, N.C.
To enforce the change, the insurer has taken the unusual step of threatening doctors with a $50 fine if they refer United’s members to Quest. The penalty takes effect March 1.
From Kevin, M.D.
Will criminal prosecutions of wayward docs be the next step taken by United?
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