PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – A healthcare insurance nightmare.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe actual physical and mental impact that this has had on me\u2014losing sleep, interrupting my work\u2014all of this,\u201d said Portland mom and resident Melanie Bobbett.<\/p>\n
She said her family is living in uncertain times.<\/p>\n
She was already battling Regence for months over their denied claims for her child\u2019s serious health issue, when her partner received a notification that his insurance plan was ending on April 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a disaster. It\u2019s actively imploding. What I\u2019m dealing with, with my small child and my partner, is a catastrophe,\u201d said Bobbett.<\/p>\n
After about six months of negotiations, Regence and Legacy Health couldn\u2019t reach an agreement on reimbursement rates, ultimately ending their contract for roughly 150,000 patients insured through Regence.<\/p>\n
Officials said rising operating costs are the problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last thing we want is for anyone to delay care. So, we are encouraging them to apply for continuity of care with Regence or their other Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan,\u201d said Merrin Permut, chief population health officer at Legacy Health.<\/p>\n
Both Legacy and Regence say they\u2019re open to continuing negotiations.<\/p>\n
Regence officials tell FOX 12 they\u2019ve set up a dedicated customer service team ready to assist patients needing help.<\/p>\n
As the uncertainty of care lingers over Bobbett\u2019s family, the mother of two says she plans to do all she can to create change.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeems like that can be fixed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly,\u201d Bobbett and her neighbor said.<\/p>\n
Bobbett\u2019s neighbor, Mary Hennrich, has worked with Health Care for All Oregon.<\/p>\n
The organization aims to provide universal healthcare for Oregonians.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s some of us who tilt at windmills and say, \u2018Can\u2019t we do better than this?\u2019 And I do it for my grandkids, because ultimately, the way it is now, it will collapse,\u201d said Hennrich.<\/p>\n
Hennrich said Health Care for All Oregon plans to meet with lawmakers in September about the state adopting universal healthcare.<\/p>\n