Contract negotiations between New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian and Empire BlueCross BlueShield have stalled ahead of a Dec. 31 deadline, the health system said.
Terms of the contract include payment rates for the health system and its affiliated Weill Cornell Medicine, ColumbiaDoctors and NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Groups physicians. Care provided in NewYork-Presbyterian facilities and by affiliated physicians will be billed at out-of-network rates beginning Jan. 1, 2019, if a new deal is not reached.
"Instead of working with us to find an equitable solution, Empire/Anthem has demanded deep cuts that would slash more than $200 million in payments to NewYork-Presbyterian, all while the insurance giant generates billions in profits," NewYork-Presbyterian said on its website, www.staywithnyp.com.
NewYork-Presbyterian projects 300,000 Empire BCBS members could be affected if negotiations collapse, according to Crain's New York Business.
An Empire spokesperson told the publication: "It is our sincere desire to reach an agreement with NewYork-Presbyterian on reasonable terms so they can remain in-network with Empire. Our No. 1 priority during these negotiations is to protect consumers' access to healthcare that is affordable."
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