University of Mississippi Medical Center (Jackson) notified patients that it is negotiating with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi over the parties' network contract, according to Mississippi Today.
The state's largest provider and payer must agree on a new contract by March 31 or patients covered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi will be out of network.
UMMC initiated negotiations, asking the payer for higher reimbursement rates, according to Mississippi Today. The contract only applies to the payer's commercial members — not plans covering state workers, which Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi administers.
The parties clashed over their agreement in 2018, requiring mediation to reach a new contract. The conflict was eventually resolved, replacing a 28-year-old contract months after it expired, according to Mississippi Today.