NY hospital CEO: Empire BCBS has 'shortchanged' us for years

Negotiations between Oceanside, N.Y.-based South Nassau Communities Hospital and Empire BlueCross BlueShield stalled before a July 1 deadline, according to liherald.com.

Empire notified SNCH patients in a May 15 letter they may face higher out-of-pocket charges for nonemergent services at the nonprofit hospital if the companies cannot reconcile their dispute.

Richard Murphy, president and CEO of SNCH, said Empire has been "shortchanging" the hospital for years. He claims Empire reimbursed the hospital at rates up to 40 percent lower than nearby hospitals for the same treatment.

Empire, which falls under the Anthem umbrella, told liherald.com: "Our consumers are our number one priority. There is no immediate change to healthcare coverage for our consumers as we are continuing to negotiate to reach an agreement that would enable [South Nassau] to remain part of [our] care provider network and protects affordability for our consumers."

The contract between SNCH and Empire expired May 1. However, a "cooling off" period, set to close July 1, allows Empire members to remain in-network at the hospital for the time being.

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