Jan. 19--Land of Lincoln Health, a struggling Chicago health insurer, will drop the University of Chicago's medical center and affiliated doctors from its insurance network March 1, an unexpected change that has upset some customers.
The move comes after some customers bought coverage at the end of last year from Land of Lincoln because their University of Chicago doctors were in the network at the time. Members who want to keep their U. of C. physicians anyway will face higher out-of-pocket costs with Land of Lincoln.
Cheryl Mostowski of Algonquin accused Land of Lincoln of false advertising. She found out about the change when she saw her physician Jan. 7, a few weeks after she bought a Land of Lincoln policy.
"I burst into tears," said Mostowski, 61, who sees specialists at the University of Chicago to treat her autoimmune disease. "They shouldn't be allowed to bait and switch."
The insurer notified University of Chicago Medicine of the decision late last month, said Ashley Heher, a spokeswoman at the health system. The decision affects Land of Lincoln's individual policies and some small-group plans. Open enrollment for individuals and families under the Affordable Care Act began Nov. 1. The deadline to buy coverage that started on the first of the year was Dec. 18.
In an emailed statement to the Tribune, Land of Lincoln said the company "is proud to have one of the largest provider networks in the state. As with other insurance carriers, LLH reviews and adjusts its networks based on market changes to ensure our ability to provide members with access to affordable health insurance."
Dennis O'Sullivan, a company spokesman, declined to elaborate on the decision to drop University of Chicago Medicine and why it came after open enrollment had started. He said he is not aware of other changes to the insurer's network.
