After more than 10 months of negotiations, Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., agreed to a new three-year contract with Cigna, according to Mass Live.
A contract between the organizations was slated to end Oct. 15, but Mercy and Cigna pushed the deadline to Oct. 18 to extend coverage during negotiations. The new contract, effective Nov. 1, will ensure Cigna members won't face out-of-network rates to access care at Mercy and its affiliate Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital, also in Springfield.
Before signing a new agreement, Robert Roose, MD, wrote in an ad for The Sunday Republican that Cigna's reimbursement rates would push Mercy out of network. Cigna also said rates were a sticking point in the negotiations.
More articles on payers:
CMS sanctions UnitedHealthcare plan: 3 things to know
The 2020 Medicare plans with 5 stars
UnitedHealth posts $5B profit in Q3