the health system and UnitedHealthcare officially ended, and the two organizations have not made any headway on getting this problem resolved. Infirmary Health says UHC is unwilling to accept contract terms. This means, of the more than 1.5 million patient visits to Infirmary Health Hospitals every year, thousands of people with insurance through UHC will be unable to have in-network coverage for necessary health services.
The health system declined to speak with NBC 15 news on camera, but in a release say, "After months of negotiations, it is apparent that UHC is unwilling to recognize the escalating costs associated with operating a quality, comprehensive healthcare system in today's economic environment.""We're having all kinds of problems with hospitals, not just in our state, but all across the country," says Tuberville.
Infirmary cites an increase in costs, for things like supplies, labor, and pharmaceuticals. Infirmary says, "UnitedHealthcare has been unwilling to accept reasonable contract terms that recognize the financial challenges of operating hospitals and supporting services." and are unwilling to "provide fair payor rates that adequately cover the costs necessary to deliver the quality of healthcare patients in our region expect and depend on.