Boston Globe quotes David Williams on Dana-Farber’s expulsion from MGB’s MA plan

Dana-Farber and MassGeneral Brigham (MGB) are in the midst of a messy divorce. As part of that, MGB’s Medicare Advantage is removing Dana-Farber —the top cancer hospital in Boston— from their network.

The Boston Globe (‘Collateral damage’: Mass General Brigham Health Plan removes Dana-Farber from its Medicare Advantage network) quoted David Williams:

Regardless of motivation, the move will undoubtedly affect patients fighting cancer, said David E. Williams, president of Health Business Group, a Boston management consulting firm.

“Why would you do that to patients?” Williams said. “If you’re trying to be a good health plan, why would you go and say you suddenly can’t have access to the top cancer center in Boston?”

The decision “fits the pattern of MGB trying to win all the cancer business that they can,” he said.

[MA] plans can also limit which providers are covered, an increasingly common trend known as “narrow networks.” It’s one of “a limited number of ways” the private insurers administering the plans can make money, Williams said, since they have to adhere to other strict federal requirements.

“Because some hospitals are a lot more expensive than others, if [insurers adjust their networks], then they can really make a material difference to their own costs, which they can then use for offering richer benefits or lower premiums,” Williams said.