But if payments from some employers and third-party payers don't speed up, doctors might sever ties with a select few. They're optimistic that they will get that worked out. Jeffrey said the doctors reconsidered because they realized that some employers and third-party payers within OCHN paid in a timely manner. OCHN was formed shortly after MedQuest collapsed in the fall of 1999 and serves 70 companies in Owensboro with 20,000 enrolled employees. Owned jointly by Owensboro Mercy Health System and Ohio Valley Physicians Association, OCHN is a self-funded insurance network formed to provide local businesses the opportunity to acquire insurance with lower premiums by using local doctors.
Employees pay their premiums to employers, which funds the network.
Third-party payers administer patient claims and write checks to doctors. Most issues of slow payment from employers and third-party payers have been resolved, she said. Neither Pace nor Jeffrey would say from which employer or third-party payer the doctors' group is still having a difficult time getting payments. Byrd could not be reached for comment. If remaining problems are not resolved, then the doctors group could discontinue services with a select few without pulling out of the entire network, Pace said.