JACKSON, Miss.–You’re still out of network at HMA hospitals like River Oaks and Woman’s in Jackson and Gilmore in Amory, if you have Blue Cross. The deal offered earlier this week has been considered and rejected by Health Management Associates.
HMA has told media that the Blue Cross deal won’t work for them because of too many strings attached, including pre-certification screening for patients.
“Patients and Blue Cross policyholders don’t need to jump through hoops or go through pre-certification when they choose our hospital,” said Women’s Hospital Chief Executive Officer Sherry Pitts in a statement.
“On behalf of our other hospitals in Biloxi, in Jackson, in Brandon, in Madison and in Natchez, I want to ask Blue Cross, ‘Don’t our patients matter?'” said River Oaks CEO Dwayne Blaylock, who also served at one time as CEO of Gilmore in Amory.
Blue Cross said the whole argument centers around the costs of health care and that HMA hospitals charge too much for some procedures. HMA sued Blue Cross for not paying for some of the costs for procedures for some patients. They were then dropped from network.
