As the multiyear contract between Charlotte, (N.C.)-based Carolinas HealthCare System and UnitedHealthcare nears its end, the two sides have yet to reach a deal, according to The Charlotte Observer.
The multiyear contract between the two will expire Feb. 28 if a deal is not reached.
In the meantime, UnitedHealthcare claims Carolinas HealthCare "wants to be paid up to 150 percent more than other hospitals in the Charlotte area for providing the same services," and has asked to be "paid about $5,300 more for a cardiac catheterization than what they're paid today," according to the report.
Additionally, UnitedHealthcare contends Carolinas HealthCare is "resistant" to the insurance company's request "to base part of its reimbursement on achieving certain quality measures and patient outcomes," the report reads.
Carolinas HealthCare disagrees.
Carolinas HealthCare is "not resistant. We are completely willing to talk about being paid for quality," spokeswoman Amy Murphy told The Charlotte Observer. She also responded to UnitedHealthcare's claim that Carolinas HealthCare wants higher payments than other hospitals in the area, telling The Charlotte Observer, "We cannot know what UHC agrees to pay other providers, so I don't know that to be true."
If a deal is not reached before the contract expires, it would leave 12 Charlotte-area hospitals and a number of physician offices "out-of-network" for almost 80,000 UnitedHealthcare members, according to the report.
UnitedHealthcare spokeswoman Tracey Lempner told The Charlotte Observer members with Medicare supplement plans would not be affected if the contract were to expire. However, Medicare Advantage participants would become out-of-network.
UnitedHealthcare has contracted with Carolinas HealthCare for more than 10 years, according to the report.
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