North Mississippi Health Services, UnitedHealthcare reach 3-year agreement

Tupelo-based North Mississippi Health Services signed a three-year contract with Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare before the parties' temporary agreement expired May 31.

Here are five things to know.

1. The new agreement resolves more than $40 million in disputed claims, according to Daily Journal. It also assures roughly 50,000 UnitedHealthcare policyholders will maintain in-network access to NMHS' six hospitals and affiliated providers.

2. The Mississippi health system's CEO Shane Spees publicized NMHS' intent to separate from UnitedHealthcare over reimbursement disagreements last October, grabbing a full-page ad in Daily Journal to address the decision. The organizations reached a temporary contract in December, however, the dispute continued when NMHS filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare a week later. The lawsuit is still active, with the latest notice dated May 18 for a hearing before Circuit Court Judge Jim Pounds, according to Daily Journal.

3. The Mississippi Insurance Department is also pursuing a market examination of UnitedHealthcare, which could result in payment adjustments or fines for the payer. The results are expected to be released in June, according to the report. 

4. Mr. Spees said in a statement, "The silver lining of our dispute is that each of us has learned much about the other's organization through the experience, all of which has led to a strengthened relationship between our organizations and a clear, common objective going forward."

5. Joe Ochipinti, CEO of UnitedHealthcare's commercial health plan in Mississippi, told Daily Journal, "I appreciate that our two organizations were able to come together and reach a solution that will maintain our longstanding relationship and keep our focus on supporting the healthcare needs of the patients we collectively serve."  

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