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Westchester Medical Center Nixes Exchange Plans

The Westchester Medical Center says it cannot accept insurance purchased through the state health exchange in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties.

CEO Michael Israel says the reimbursements are too low to cover the costs of the services it offers as a teaching hospital.

The Journal News says patients and lawmakers are expressing outrage.

Westchester Medical Center used to be a public hospital. After years of red ink, it became a public benefit corporation 15 years ago.

It still uses public land and buildings, and its employees are part of the state pension system.

Montefiore, which has a teaching hospital in the Bronx, is accepting six out of the seven exchange plans available in Westchester County.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is accepting two plans available in Westchester and Rockland.

(c) 2012 AP

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.