All three Hudson Valley hospitals operated by Jersey City, N.J.-based CarePoint Health will now charge out-of-network rates for care provided to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield members, reports NJBIZ.
CarePoint's Hudson Valley hospitals include Christ Hospital in Jersey City, Bayonne (N.J.) Hospital and Hoboken (N.J.) University Medical Center. Christ Hospital ended its in-network affiliation with the insurer last year. Bayonne Hospital and Hoboken University's in-network contracts expired May 2 and June 2, respectively.
CarePoint dropped the insurer in part due to its alleged insufficient reimbursement levels for care services. When asked about the split, CarePoint spokesman Jarrod Bernstein said, "being out-of-network is not a business strategy — it's a survival strategy."
Representatives from Horizon and the New Jersey Association of Health Plans released statements thursday to warn consumers their medical costs will increase should they continue to use CarePoint hospitals.