The CMO of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., wrote that Cigna may force the hospital out of its provider network due to disagreements over rates, according to Mass Live.
Robert Roose, MD, wrote in an ad for The Sunday Republican that Cigna's reimbursement rates may push Mercy out of network by Oct. 15. A contract between the two organizations expires at midnight on Oct. 14. Dr. Roose said while he hopes "Mercy and Cigna can find common ground and agree to fair and mutually beneficial rates for these essential services," there is still a "very real possibility of being forced out of Cigna's provider network."
The contract at issue is one for Mercy Medical and its Springfield-based affiliate Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital. The contract would not affect Mercy Medical's outpatient and specialty care provider network, Trinity Health of New England Medical Group in Chicopee, Mass. As a result, Cigna members may still be covered for primary care visits to Trinity Health providers, but hospital services would be out of network, according to the report.
In an emailed statement to Becker's, Cigna said it would "very much like to keep Mercy Medical Center in our network, but not at the excessively high rates that it's demanding from our clients and customers. The problem is price. Mercy Medical Center thinks that Cigna customers should pay more than what is normal in the region, and we think that's just wrong."