After a contract dispute lasting months, West Des Moines, Iowa-based Mercy Health Network reached a deal with AmeriHealth, a Medicaid managed care company, to continue treating over 220,000 poor or disabled residents covered by AmeriHealth, according to the Des Moines Register.
If the contract dispute wasn't settled by July 1, residents receiving Medicaid through AmeriHealth would not be able to receive care at Mercy hospitals and clinics.
The conflict arose as executives at Mercy Health Network claimed AmeriHealth cut rates in the middle of a contract, while the Medicaid managed care company argued it was building a sustainable Medicaid program.
"We negotiated in good faith, so I don't think it is appropriate to share specifics of the deal, but can say that the new deal is mutually beneficial to both organizations," Mercy Vice President Janelle Pittman wrote in an email to The Register.