Several Trinity Health hospitals from coast to coast are now out of network with UnitedHealthcare amid reimbursement disputes between the organizations.
"We've had difficult negotiations with UnitedHealthcare over the years and with some other payers, but now it's coming to a head due to the impact of inflation, Medicare Advantage and the pressures on that program, and the fact that we can no longer sustain and accept it," Stuart Kilpinen, Trinity's senior vice president of payer strategy and product development, previously told Becker's. "We're taking a firmer stand to protect the care that our patients and communities need."
A spokesperson for UnitedHealthcare previously told Becker's that the company's goal is to keep Trinity in its network at a cost that's affordable for the people and employers it serves. "That's why we continue to compromise and are proposing meaningful rate increases that ensure the health system continues to be fairly and appropriately reimbursed at market-competitive rates similar to their peers throughout the state," according to a statement regarding negotiations in New England.
Several of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity's ministries and hospitals have been renegotiating contracts with UnitedHealthcare to replace deals that expired at midnight on June 30. Deals have been reached in Florida and Iowa, but negotiations are ongoing for facilities located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Georgia, Indiana and California.
Trinity organizations that are now out of network with UnitedHealthcare:
Details about specific out of network health plans and providers are linked
- Trinity Health of New England (Hartford, Conn.)
- St. Peter's Health Partners (Albany, N.Y.)
- St. Mary's Hospital (Athens, Ga.)
- Saint Joseph Health System (Mishawaka, Ind.)
- Saint Agnes Medical Center (Fresno, Calif.)