Mount Sinai and UnitedHealthcare say they have reached an agreement on a new contract after a monthslong dispute that disrupted coverage for thousands of patients.
All Mount Sinai facilities will be back in network with UnitedHealthcare and its subsidiary Oxford Health Plans effective immediately, according to the hospital system’s website. Coverage will continue uninterrupted for Mount Sinai-affiliated doctors, who otherwise would have gone out of network on Friday.
“We thank our members and customers for their support and patience throughout this process and are honored to continue supporting all of the people throughout New York who depend on us for access to quality and affordable health care,” United wrote in a statement online.
After Mount Sinai and United ended their contract at the end of last year, Mount Sinai hospitals immediately went out of network for some United customers, while others lost coverage this month. United then announced that it was going beyond hospital care and removing Mount Sinai doctors from its network as well.
The fracas over payment rates caused panic and confusion among patients, who were trying to figure out if and when they would have to switch providers. More than 80,000 people insured through UnitedHealthcare have visited a Mount Sinai hospital or doctor over the past year, according to the insurer.
“This is an enormous victory for our patients and for each of you who work so hard to provide the best possible experience and care for those we serve,” Mount Sinai officials wrote in an internal notice about the deal sent out on Tuesday.
A Mount Sinai spokesperson shared the statement with Gothamist.
The dispute between United and Mount Sinai centered on the hospital system’s proposed rate hikes. The insurer rejected them as “outlandish,” while Mount Sinai said they were necessary to cover costs and were in line with rates paid to competitors.
“We were simply asking for fair payment for our physicians and hospitals…
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