"Mary Kuhn went to the emergency room at John Muir Medical Center because it felt like she was having a heart attack. Her chest and jaw hurt. Her tongue was numb. Instead of confirming a heart attack, testing later ordered by a cardiologist revealed a shocking diagnosis. Kuhn had a massive hiatal hernia that required surgery. Her entire stomach had pushed into her chest cavity through an opening in the diaphragm, a muscle that divides"
"On the hunt for a specialist, Kuhn ran into a problem that plagues many California patients: Doctors listed in her health insurer's directory didn't actually accept her insurance. She had encountered a ghost network. RELATED: Gov. Newsom unveils $11 state insulin for Californians Ghost networks are a longstanding problem in California that advocates and lawmakers have tried to fix for more than a decade. Patients searching for primary care, physical or mental health therapy or specialty care discover that the lists of in-network providers published"
Mary Kuhn experienced a life-threatening hiatal hernia that required surgery after emergency testing revealed her stomach had pushed into her chest and twisted. Her search for a specialist was thwarted because many doctors listed in her insurer's directory did not accept her insurance, a phenomenon called a ghost network. Ghost networks are longstanding in California, with estimates that a third or more in-network listings are inaccurate. Directories often contain wrong phone numbers and addresses, and many listed providers no longer contract with patients' insurers. Consumer advocates and lawmakers have tried to fix the problem for over a decade.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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