A federal bankruptcy judge on Wednesday denied Jackson Hospital’s emergency request to force Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama to increase reimbursement rates, leaving the Montgomery hospital without the immediate relief it sought as a June 25 deadline approaches.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher L. Hawkins denied the hospital’s motion for a preliminary injunction, ruling that Jackson had not met the legal standard required for such relief.
Jackson asked the court to require Blue Cross to pay reimbursement rates comparable to those paid to Baptist Medical Center South. Hospital officials have argued that Blue Cross reimbursement rates are a key factor in the facility’s financial distress and its ability to remain open…