Since the Affordable Care Act created marketplaces for private health plans last fall, insurers expecting to lure customers with low premiums have fashioned smaller networks of medical providers.

By cutting out expensive hospitals and negotiating favorable rates with doctors in exchange for sending more patients their way, insurers can keep premiums down. In one instance, Blue Shield’s new network includes 43 hospitals in Los Angeles County, about 64 percent of what its standard coverage offers. Read more…