Health care feud turns to retiree plans - Highmark, UPMC now argue over Medicare Advantage

[RamboLiberal]

Already finding little to agree on, Highmark and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center officials now are bickering over whether ending their physician contract would affect about 250,000 subscribers to Highmark's Medicare Advantage plan.

UPMC spokesman Paul Wood said Monday that the region's largest health system is "committed to maintaining the physicians as in-network" for those with Highmark Medicare Advantage plans, even as it moves to an end to the physician contract for commercial subscribers.

But Highmark spokesman Michael Weinstein said the current physician contract does not allow for that.

"If UPMC follows through on this threat of terminating the physician contracts, as of June 2012 it would be terminating Highmark Advantage members' access to UPMC physician groups," said Mr. Weinstein, a point the insurer made in its civil complaint filed last week.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11200/1161388-455.stm#ixzz1SauUXgLl

Wish these overpaid, over-compensated assholes would get over their pissing contest and allow subscribers of either plan to see the doctor they need to or is most convenient!