UPMC Health Plan CEO: No Chance Of Working With Highmark

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - If your health insurance is provided by Highmark, but you go to a UPMC doctor, expect to make tough choices during Open Enrollment.

UPMC Health Plan President and CEO Diane Holder talks to KDKA-AM's Larry and John about the latest on their feud with Highmark, as well as important information to help you decide which insurance company you will choose for 2012.

"We have, as you know, a contract that will expire for our hospitals in June of 2012 and there is a year run out. So for hospital use, there is the year run out. Physician contracts are separate contracts. Those contracts, a subset of them of employed physicians, will be terminated. That means that come next July 1, there will be specific UPMC physicians employed by UPMC that will not be accessible in network arrangements. So, for the commercial population, and we're not talking about Medicare or Medicaid, but for the commercial population, we would believe that this January would make a difference in your benefit selection," Holder said.

For the moment, UPMC wants to establish a transition plan with Highmark for when the deal does run out.

"What we are trying to do is sit down with Highmark and talk about what are the appropriate transition plans," Holder said. "What we believe is appropriate is that patient care needs to be transitioned appropriately. And that we think there is a whole list of things that we and Highmark together, need to agree in order to put that safety net under people as they transition their care."

When asked if there was any chance of finding a common ground with Highmark, Holder said, "No, absolutely not."

UPMC has a special website for the latest information on their discussions with Highmark. Visit the site at http://www.patientcareassurance.com.