Obamacare customers lose coverage for top Chicago children's hospital
The top children's hospital in the Chicagoland area won't be covered in-network for any Obamacare plans next year.
Lurie Children's Hospital is the latest in a growing list of top Illinois hospitals that will now cost Obamacare customers much more to access, now that all four marketplace insurers covering the hospital in-network for 2016 are dropping it from their provider networks next year.
Lurie was in-network this year for four marketplace plans, including Coventry, Harken, United Compass and Land of Lincoln. But Land of Lincoln folded a few months ago, the other three have narrowed their networks for next year and other Obamacare insurers never covered the hospital to begin with.
Lurie has posted a notice on its website, warning patients that they will need to get prior authorization from their marketplace plan before getting care — or they'll likely have to pay the full bill.