The announcement that PeaceHealth is no longer going to be in network for any of the Medicare advantage plans offered by Health Net came as a bit of a shock to me.
Looking at the Medicare booklet for 2020, it seems like Health Net was the only plan that works in both Lane and Douglas counties, where I will be living off and on over the next few months. I called Health Net to find out my options and they offered to sign me up for their “violet plan” that doesn’t charge extra to cover out-of-network doctors and hospitals.
But then I called PeaceHealth, and they said I won’t be able to use Health Net to pay for their services even with out-of-network billing. So now it looks like my main option is to sign up for a plan that works in Lane County and use urgent care in Douglas County for up to six months if needed.
You can get the complete list of plans by answering a few questions at Medicare.gov. Although the emails being circulated suggest logging in to view the list, logging in is not actually required.
The deadline to switch is Dec. 7.
John Thielking
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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