NY hospital wants 'excessive' 30% rate hike, Empire BCBS says

A contract dispute between Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Westchester Medical Center Health in Valhalla, N.Y., is due to WMC's proposed 30 percent rate hike, the insurer told the Rockland/Westchester Journal News.

Contract talks have stalled ahead of a deadline that would leave many WMC sites out of Empire's network. As a result, Empire members could face higher out-of-pocket costs to access services at the health system.  

In a statement to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News, an Empire spokesperson said, "We believe hospitals and doctors should be compensated fairly, and this is reflected in the terms we offer to providers to participate in our networks. However, we cannot agree to [WMC's] demands of a 30 percent increase over the next three years. That's because these excessive costs increases would be paid for directly by our consumers, the majority of whom are covered by self-funded plans that pay for medical costs directly."

WMC disagreed with Empire's characterization of the feud.

"Throughout our negotiations, our overall proposals never amounted to an increase of 30 percent, as [Empire] is falsely claiming," WMCHealth officials told the newspaper. "In fact, the totality of their current proposal is a potential reduction in the overall existing [Empire] rates."

More articles on payer:
Centene got better deal on WellCare as market slid
Cigna CEO's threat to leave Connecticut derailed public option, state official says
Allina | Aetna enrollment tops 12,000

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Top 40 articles from the past 6 months