NEW YORK CITY — Thousands of New York City patients no longer have insurance coverage for Mount Sinai hospitals, and soon will for the system’s doctors if a long-standing cost dispute isn’t resolved.
The medical system’s hospitals and outpatient facilities went off the UnitedHealthcare and Oxford Health Plans networks Friday — a potentially devastating development, for which both sides have blamed the other.
The move came after Mount Sinai officials pressed UnitedHealthcare for more pay, a demand they characterized as reasonable but that insurers deemed “outlandish.”
Find out what's happening in New York Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The impasse soon won’t just affect hospital patients — if an agreement isn’t soon struck, Mount Sinai physicians will be removed from UnitedHealthcare’s network March 22, officials said.
“Mount Sinai must be paid fairly,” a statement from the system states.
Find out what's happening in New York Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“The increases we are requesting from UHC/Oxford are reasonable and would keep us competitive with – but not ahead of – our peers in terms of costs.”
UnitedHealthcare representatives, for their part, swiped at their Mount Sinai counterparts, whom they said proposed two different contracts with price hikes that would increase health care costs by $574 million and $927 million.
“All of Mount Sinai’s proposals would make its hospitals and physicians the most expensive by a
considerable margin in New York City,” a statement from UnitedHealthcare states.
“We continue to await a realistic proposal from Mount Sinai that’s affordable and sustainable for New Yorkers and employers.”
New York City is home to six Mount Sinai hospitals that are affected by the changes Friday. All the facilities that will be out of network are:
The dispute and associated finger pointing stems from May 2023, when Mount Sinai officials sought a new agreement with UnitedHealthcare.
Click Here: cardiff blues rugby jersey
The system leaders effectively wanted to be paid more, and contended that United routinely denied proper coverage to patients in order to reap benefits for shareholders. Mount Sinai representatives have also contended that insurers’ accusation that New Yorkers will bear $600 million more in costs under the system’s proposals are patently false.
Both sides have stressed that emergency care will continue to be provided in-network.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.