The hospital filed the injunction Thursday in state Superior Court in Stamford, arguing that UnitedHealthcare’s plan to stop payment violates a 2009 contract that renewed automatically in 2011 to provide coverage through the end of the year. The injunction also requests a mandate for UnitedHealthcare to send out letters that coverage at the hospital will continue until the first day of 2012.
UnitedHealthcare has sent letters to providers and patients over the past week, informing them of Stamford Hospital’s removal from coverage. Hospital lawyers say the letters were sent in an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations. UnitedHealthcare is asking for a 6 percent cut in reimbursement rates paid to the hospital.
UnitedHealthcare covered around 46,000 patient visits to Stamford in 2010, around 12 percent of the hospital’s total patient visits, according to the report.
Read the Stamford Advocate report on Stamford Hospital.
Read more on reimbursement negotiations:
–Health Insurers Say Increased Pressure on Costs Means Tougher Talks With Hospitals
–Pennsylvania Database Provides Medicare Reimbursement Rate for Hospitals, Surgery Centers
