UnitedHealthcare, Louisiana’s second-largest private health insurance provider, warned customers in a letter that LCMC Health hospitals could be dropped from in-network coverage, forcing patients to pay higher costs, if the two sides can’t quickly agree on a new contract.
The letter, which comes as UHC and LCMC are engaged in high-stakes negotiations over how much local hospitals will receive for their services from the insurance giant, was sent earlier this month to UHC customers who were treated at LCMC facilities and enrolled in employer-sponsored plans.
UHC told its customers that without a deal, LCMC hospitals would be treated as out-of-network care starting on Nov. 1 and suggested that patients could turn to rival hospitals operated by Ochsner Health for in-network care…