Your Doctor, the Insurance Broker

Call it sweet, delicious vindication.

It was clinic day yesterday. No longer had I completed my rant in this blog about UnitedHealthcare's program to require all cardiac elecrophysiologists to obtain a "notification number" before performing any pacemaker or defibrillator procedure, I discovered my letter from them dated 3 June 2010 on my desk stating that this requirement will begin 1 September 2010 for all Illinois electrophysiologists for "all electrophysiology procedures."

Not longer than an hour later, I was seeing a 67 year old patient in clinic who asked me, "I just got my Medicare (Part A) card and must decide about which insurer I should use for Part B, C, D, E, and F," he said jokingly. "Since I have the medical problem and might need some care in the future, is there any company you would recomend?"

I sat stunned, relishing my ever-so-brief, influential role. I told showed him UnitedHealthcare's letter.

"I'd avoid UnitedHealthcare," I found myself saying, "...and any other front man like AARP that peddles their supplemental insurance products and drains value from your policy."

My new role: insurance broker.

-Wes