Insurer Extends Deadline To Change Doctors
Secure Horizons on Tuesday announced that it will call nearly 4,000 Ventura County residents to address confusion over the Jan. 1 deadline to change physicians who belong to Buenaventura Medical Group, the Ventura County Star reports. PacifiCare offers the Secure Horizons health plan for seniors.
Kaiser Permanente recently bought Buenaventura, and as of Jan. 1, group doctors will not accept other health plans.
In August, Secure Horizons sent letters to affected members saying they would have to stop seeing Buenaventura doctors by Oct. 1 and move to new ones picked by the insurer. However, the insurer changed the deadline to Jan. 1 last weekend after members and lawmakers complained.
Company officials hope to contact all affected members by Oct. 1.
Rep. Lois Capps (D) and Assembly member Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) are urging the insurer to notify members in writing.
BMG CEO Jim Malone and Nava plan to send their own letters to Secure Horizons members informing them of the deadline extension (Koehler, Ventura County Star, 9/13).