Nashville, Tenn.-based Envision Healthcare launched a new website outlining where its negotiations with UnitedHealthcare stand.
Here are five things to know:
1. In September, negotiations between UnitedHealthcare and Envision, the nation's largest provider of emergency room physicians, reached an impasse after about a year of discussions. If the two are unable to reach an agreement before Jan. 1, Envision will no longer be in the insurer's network, affecting more than 1 million of United's members across the nation.
2. On its new site, Envision said while it has not sought rate increases from UnitedHealthcare for 2019, "UnitedHealthcare sent hospitals letters in September announcing it will not renew the contract in 2019 and push patients nationwide out-of-network with Envision physicians and clinicians."
3. The system added that while "UnitedHealthcare can't get to 'yes,' Envision recently signed new contracts with three other major carriers." Envision also accused UnitedHealthcare of viewing physicians and hospitals "as entries on a spreadsheet, with no recognition of value or commitment to partnership."
4. UnitedHealthcare sent letters to more than 250 hospitals Sept. 21 warning them it may drop Envision. UnitedHealthcare has blamed Envision for the contract impasse. "You know better than most how Envision's rates are driving up the cost of healthcare for the people we all serve," Dan Rosenthal, president and CEO of UnitedHealthcare Networks, said in the letter mailed to hospitals. "We sincerely believe we have made a fair and reasonable offer with the goal of continuing Envision's participation in our networks for the benefit of patients at your hospital and the customers we serve."
5. Envision and UnitedHealthcare have had a contract in place since 2009.
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