When Jody Sabatino opened her mailbox last month , she got some jaw-dropping news : Her insurance company , UnitedHealthcare , was cutting the 79-year-old 's most trusted doctor from its Medicare Advantage plan . In fact , four of her six regular doctors wo n't be covered at all next year . `` I could n't believe it . I just could n't believe it , '' Sabatino said . What 's easier to believe for those affected by the cuts is that because Obamacare makes it harder for insurers to cut patients from their rolls , they 're cutting doctors instead -- and hoping patients follow them off the plan . United 's move left Sabatino and her 94-year-old husband , Nick , facing a tough choice : Do they stay with United and find new doctors or try to keep their doctors by finding a new insurance plan ? `` Dr. Mieczkowski has been my doctor for 20 years . No one knows me any better than he does , and it 's silly not to continue to go with him , '' Sabatino said . So she went shopping . And the insurance plan she bought is going to cost her more . Of the eight prescriptions that United covered , half of them are either going to cost more or are n't covered at all under her new plan . Insurers ease deadline to pay for Obamacare policies . But by switching plans , Jody Sabatino gets to keep Dr. Lawrence Mieczkowski , or `` Dr . Mitch . '' The cardiometabolic specialist will be unceremoniously dumped from United 's Medicare Advantage network next year with little explanation . `` Given the significant changes and pressures in the health care environment , we have undertaken a review of our network and are making changes to its composition , '' United wrote to Mieczkowski in an August letter . `` As a result , UnitedHealthcare is amending your agreement referenced above to discontinue your participation in the Medicare Advantage network effective on January 1 , 2014 . ... This amendment does not require your signature . '' But the doctor thinks United is trimming physicians from its networks in hopes that their patients will follow . `` Let those high-cost patients move out of the UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan over to Anthem or Humana and let those poor suckers , so to speak , pick up the cost , '' Mieczkowski said . In Ohio , where Mieczkowski practices outside Dayton , hundreds of doctors and thousands of patients have been affected by United 's cuts . And in Connecticut , United cut about 20 % of its doctors , according to the state medical society . The American Medical Association says United and other insurers have taken similar action in at least a dozen states . `` The patient costs a lot , '' said Todd Baker of the Ohio State Medical Association . `` And United is going to those patients ' doctors and dropping them and therefore getting rid of the patient . '' United concedes it is reducing the size of its Medicare Advantage network , saying it will shrink by about 10 % to 15 % by the end of next year . `` Many health plans are making changes to their networks to improve quality and keep health insurance affordable , '' United said in a statement to CNN . `` These changes are necessary to meet rising quality standards in an era of Medicare funding cuts , and will improve our ability to work closely with physicians and encourage better health outcomes for our members . '' The insurance industry 's trade group argues that the changes are a direct result of Obamacare . To help pay for health care reform , lawmakers included $ 200 billion in cuts to the Medicare Advantage program and a new tax on health insurers . `` Washington ca n't cut and tax the Medicare Advantage program this much and not expect seniors in the program to be harmed . And that 's exactly what we 're starting to see , '' said Robert Zirkelbach of America 's Health Insurance Plans . `` This is just the beginning . As more and more of these cuts go into effect over the next several years , seniors are going to face even higher premiums , higher out-of-pocket costs for services and fewer health care choices . '' And even though Sabatino was able to find a plan that allows her to continue to see Mieczkowski , she will still lose two other specialists . `` We 're walking away from people that we 've known and trusted and counted on for over 10 years , and that 's hard , '' she said . `` That 's hard . '' Christie on Obamacare ad : Get out of your PJs . Private exchanges : Obamacare signup process still not ready . Microsoft exec to oversee Obamacare website . Sebelius orders review of Obamacare website .
Ohio doctor is one of many being dropped by insurance companies , AMA says . Medicare cuts in Obamacare are changing provider networks , industry spokesman says . Comment: