SalemHealth-United Healthcare contract

Monday, June 22, 2015

Salem Health and United Healthcare have renewed their contract, avoiding disruptions in coverage for local policyholders.

Salem Health spokeswoman Sherryll Hoar said the contract was signed Friday afternoon.

Earlier this month, local United Healthcare policyholders received letters citing difficulties in negotiations and indicating Salem Health could lose preferred-provider status after June 30, when the contract was set to expire.

When policyholders seek care from outside of their health plan's contracted network of providers, their out-of-pocket expenses could be significantly higher.

Both sides said part of the issue was disagreements how much Salem Health should be paid for services.

United Healthcare spokeswoman Kristen Hellmer has said that about 10,000 of United Healthcare's commercial and Medicare Advantage policyholders had accessed Salem Health's services in the past year. TriCare policyholders would not have been affected by the negotiations.

Salem Health encompasses Salem Hospital, West Valley Hospital, and Willamette Health Partners' primary and specialty clinics and lab services.

Salem Health was also in negotiations with Regence BlueCross BlueShield, whose contract's expiration date is Tuesday. However, even if the contract is not renewed in time, Regence policyholders will still be able to access Salem Health at in-network levels for 12 months beyond that date.

Hoar said Regence and Salem Health hope to have the contract resolved soon.

 

statesmanjournal.com