Highmark-UPMC Agreement Continues Into 2013

Throughout the year,  our blog highlighted the ongoing debate between UMPC, one of western Pennsylvania’s largest physician networks, and Highmark, a health insurance giant in western Pennsylvania.  The two companies had been in negotiation for months about renewing their contracts for the upcoming renewal period on their contract.  Through a series of lawsuits, legal arrangements, and negotiations between both parties, patients using both UPMC and Highmark services will be able to receive both services until 2013.

The latest update involved an agreement by both companies in which patients insured by Highmark, but using UPMC doctors, will continue to be able to use both companies' services until 2013.  This is an extension of the original agreement, in which services were scheduled to stop between the companies in 2012.  Both parties are still not clear about how they will be serving their patients together after their contract period ends in 2013.  Both parties also issued statements which can be viewed by clicking on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's link at the beginning of this paragraph.

If you have Highmark insurance and are also a patient within the UPMC Healthcare system, Attorney Doug Stoehr advises you to carefully examine any correspondence that your health insurance and medical provider may send you.  It is important to be as knowledgeable as possible about what you are entitled to from your insurance company and your healthcare provider, especially when major changes are occurring within those systems.

Attorney Stoehr is a lawyer specializing in personal injury and services the western and central Pennsylvania area.  If you would like to consult with him about a possible personal injury claim, please contact our law office.

Highmark/UMPC Spat Results In Advertisement Lawsuit

Over the summer, our blog has covered the ongoing dispute between Highmark (a major medical insurance company) and UPMC (a major healthcare provider) in western PA.  A few weeks ago, this blog mentioned that Highmark and UPMC were heavily advertising in the Pittsburgh area in order to gain and maintain their clients.  Since that time, Highmark has sued UPMC, claiming that UPMC is falsely advertising that they will be unable to serve patients under Highmark's insurance policy when the two companies' contract expires next year.  The results and progression of the lawsuit remain to be seen.

As mentioned multiple times in this blog, if you have Highmark insurance and are also a patient within the UPMC Healthcare system, Attorney Doug Stoehr advises you to carefully examine any correspondence that your health insurance and medical provider may send you.  It is important to be as knowledgeable as possible about what you are entitled to from your insurance company and your healthcare provider, especially when major changes are occurring within those systems.

 Attorney Stoehr is a lawyer specializing in personal injury and services the western and central Pennsylvania area.  If you would like to consult with him about a possible personal injury claim, please contact our law office.

UPMC and Highmark Cannot Reach Agreement

As highlighted earlier in our blog this summer, healthcare provider UPMC and health insurance company Highmark still have not reached a decision regarding their contract.  UPMC has chosen not to negotiate with Highmark after news was broken that Highmark was trying to acquire UPMC's biggest competitor in western PA: Western Penn Allegheny Health System.  Since Highmark is now operating Western Penn, they can be considered to be in direct competition with UPMC.  The groups are in talks about how to best disperse patient records in case a patient wants to switch healthcare systems.

If you have Highmark insurance and are also a patient within the UPMC Healthcare system, Attorney Doug Stoehr advises you to carefully examine any correspondence that your health insurance and medical provider may send you.  It is important to be as knowledgeable as possible about what you are entitled to from your insurance company and your healthcare provider, especially when major changes are occurring within those systems.  Attorney Stoehr is a lawyer specializing in personal injury and services the western and central Pennsylvania area.  If you would like to consult with him about a possible personal injury claim, please contact our law office.

Major PA Healthcare Provider and Insurance Company at Odds

UPMC Healthcare Systems and Highmark health insurance services have been debating in the past few months whether to continue to serve each other as their 10-year contract comes to a close this year.  If Highmark refuses to provide insurance to patients at UPMC medical facilities and UPMC does not accept Highmark insurance, many patients could potentially be left without doctors or access to medical services.  This poses a particularly complicated situation for those patients undergoing long-term treatment for such diseases as cancer and diabetes.  Patients and physicians are both worried about the possibility of mass movement of medical records, which may result in lost or incomplete records at the patient’s new treatment center.  Those who receive Medicare plans through Highmark will not be affected by any possible changes.  

During your personal injury claim, you will be incurring long-term medical expenses, most likely over a period of months or years.  If there is a significant shift in your healthcare plan or your insurance company refuses to pay your medical bills during treatment for your injury caused by an accident, you should keep your attorney up to date, as it might affect how your claim is handled.  Although Attorney Doug Stoehr cannot consult with you about a possible gap in your insurance coverage as the result of an issue like the UPMC/Highmark contract negotiation, he encourages you to check your insurance policy frequently to be aware of any possible changes in your policy.

Attorney Stoehr is a lawyer based out of Altoona, PA that specializes in personal injury claims.  If you would like to consult with him about a possible personal injury claim, please contact our law office for more information.