Summa Health will no longer schedule appointments for people with out-of-network and non-contracted insurance plans, effective Sept. 1.
The policy includes services provided by the system’s medical group, walk-in services at its urgent care centers, and laboratory and radiology services. It does not apply to emergency services or emergency labor and delivery treatment.
The Akron, Ohio-based system has contracts with more than 40 health plans.
“This policy is in place not only to protect Summa Health but also the patient,” a spokesperson for the system told Becker’s. “When patients receive care that is out-of-network or non-contracted with their insurance provider, the health system spends significant resources trying to obtain any payment from the patient’s insurance provider. Often that effort results in little, to no, payment. The patient is then responsible for any remaining bill, which can be substantial. There are limited exceptions to this policy for a subset of services where Summa Health is the only provider in the region.”
Summa is in the process of transitioning into a for-profit structure following Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s conditional approval in June for venture capital firm General Catalyst to acquire the health system, with a $485 million agreement finalized in November.
