Insurance giant Cigna is telling its customers in Colorado they may soon lose the ability to receive in-network rates inside Centura Health hospitals.
The current contract between Cigna and Centura Health is set to expire at the end of the month. Late last month, Cigna started sending letters to patients in Colorado suggesting “Centura Health may no longer be part of your hospital network… starting February 1, 2018.”
A spokesperson for Centura Health tells 9Wants to Know, “We are still working through a few critical points and hope to have them wrapped up for our Feb. 1 renewal.”
“We are having active discussions with Cigna and our goal is to reach a positive, partnership-oriented agreement to achieve the best outcome and terms that are beneficial for providers and Cigna members,” said Jennifer Wills, Centura's Director of Strategic Communications.
In the Denver area, Centura Health runs Littleton Adventist, Castle Rock Adventist, Longmont United, Ortho Colorado, Parker Adventist, Porter Adventist and St. Anthony.
Cigna's letter to its members says, barring an agreement, “you'll have to pay the out-of-network rate” at those facilities.
9NEWS has reached out to Cigna for comment. The company responded with the following statement:
Cigna has been negotiating collaboratively and in good faith with Centura Health to reach agreement on a new contract before our existing contract ends on February 1, 2018. We have not yet reached mutually agreeable terms. We would like Centura Health to remain part of our network but it has to be on terms that result in immediate and long term affordability and value for our customers and our employer clients. We hope to reach an agreement before the contract expires, but should that not occur, we want our customers to know that we will help guide those undergoing treatment so they know what to expect regarding future care."
