Tens of thousands of SSM Health patients in the St. Louis area could lose access to in-network health providers if the Creve Coeur-based health system and UnitedHealthcare don’t reach a deal.
Time is running out for the two health companies. Their existing agreement expires at the end of the year, on Dec. 31. SSM Health representatives estimate failure to reach an agreement could affect about 100,000 patients in the area.
Health systems and insurance companies regularly negotiate how much insurers reimburse hospitals for surgeries, checkups, screenings and hundreds of other procedures. Health insurers can use their massive networks of patients as leverage, while large health systems can similarly use their big size as a bargaining chip…