Empire Blue Cross--any issues? [View All]

[Snazzy]

They are dropping several Westchester hospitals in April (Lawrence Hospital, Northern Westchester Hospital, Phelps and White Plains Hospital), and today I also had a family member denied a drug she had been prescribed and covered-for over the last 10 years or so. Same person was about to have surgery at Lawrence.

Anybody have incidents?

Talking to media come Monday so more info = more better. No media coverage that I've seen (well, WSJ had blurb, below).

Assumption is that this has something to do with preempting health bill changes.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704059004575128002799146506.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_business

> In a fresh battle, Stellaris Health Network, a four-hospital system in Westchester County, N.Y., just asked a unit of health insurer WellPoint Inc. to increase its payments by 16% this year—in part, so that Stellaris could fund a new cancer center, according to the insurer.
>
> The hospital's contract is set to expire at the end of the month, and WellPoint's Empire BlueCross BlueShield unit is pushing back. It sent letters to members on March 2 warning them that the insurer might lose the hospitals from its network.