This is an open letter posted in response to a Bamboozled column that appeared in The Star-Ledger on June 5, 2017. As an orthopaedic hand surgeon and president of the New Jersey Doctor-Patient Alliance, I live and breathe these issues on a daily basis. I am disheartened in the way this article seems to cast doctors as nefarious agents of the medical community. On the contrary, my colleagues and I take extreme pride in the care we deliver to our patients, as we have devoted the majority of our lives toward helping people at their most vulnerable and stressful moments. Continue reading

Many private corporations, unions, and local municipalities provide health insurance to their workers through a process known as self-funding. In this arrangement, when a worker needs to see a doctor, get a test, or take a medicine, it is the employer or union who foots the bill – not a health insurance company. So where does the insurance company fit in? Continue reading

Governor Christie has plans to cut your health care benefits. In his 2018 Budget proposal, the Governor announced savings of $81 million by reducing the health benefits available through the State-run health plans. This move will affect all of you and your families. Continue reading

A recent, little-known New Jersey government ruling has allowed your insurance company to effectively take away your out-of-network benefits as of January 1, 2017. In 2016, the New Jersey Small Employer Health Board of the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI), a group comprised mostly of insurance representatives, made up a rule that allows your insurance company to limit the amount of money they reimburse your out-of-network doctor. Continue reading