WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Tenet Healthcare and Cigna have finalized a new contract that preserves full in-network access for Cigna commercial plan members at Palm Beach Health Network hospitals and providers, avoiding a potential disruption in care for more than 1.3 million Floridians.
The agreement comes just before the national Tenet-Cigna contract was set to expire on December 31, 2025. Without a resolution, Cigna members would have lost in-network coverage for non-emergency care starting January 1, 2026, including access to Palm Beach County’s two Level I trauma centers and the region’s only children’s hospital, according to the news release.
“Throughout this process, our priority was to safeguard access to care for our patients,” Palm Beach Health Network stated. “We appreciate the support received from employers and our community, who reinforced the importance of network choice for members.”
What was at stake
According to Palm Beach Health Network, negotiations focused on patient protections and care standards. Tenet sought assurances that medical decisions would be made by physicians rather than computer algorithms—a practice Cigna has faced criticism for in recent investigations and lawsuits. Other sticking points included prior authorization safeguards and fair reimbursement for emergency care…