St. Charles Health has resolved contract standoffs with Aetna and Cigna, meaning more than 12,000 people with coverage from the national insurers won't have to worry about paying more to get care at the Central Oregon health system.
With both contracts approved, the system will stay in-network for the insurers, meaning patients won't be hit with costly new charges.
Leadership of St. Charles announced the decision Tuesday, alluding to a complaint increasingly cited by health systems around the country that insurers' contracting practices and care denials are making it harder to provide care in a timely way.
“For the past several years, St. Charles has asked insurance companies to work with us to address concerns about coverage denials for medical treatments, increasing administrative burdens for our care teams, inefficiencies and delays in patient care,” said Matt Swafford, Chief Financial Officer for St. Charles in a prepared statement. “Though not perfect, both contracts with Aetna and with Cigna include elements that better address these issues. We will remain in-network for both insurance companies.”
