Aaron Carroll asks what insurance in the healthcare exchanges will actually look like:
Such insurance is going to have to come with restrictions. There might be network restrictions (such as seeing only certain providers). There might be gateways people don’t like. And there might be other rules in place that people don’t anticipate.
My conversations [with insurance company executives and managers] lead me to believe that many people are expecting that the plans offered in the exchanges will be Medicare-like in many ways. I feel like many people think they will have choice of doctor, choice of hospital, and the ability to dictate care. I’m not seeing how insurance companies will be able to offer such products at prices people can afford. As I talk to more and more people in the insurance industry, my thoughts seem confirmed.
I may be wrong, but I think it’s worth addressing. Mistaken expectations have been, and continue to be, a real problem in health care reform.