A stalemate over reimbursement rates at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida is causing some anxiety for patients and their families.

The Tampa Bay Times reported on one such family, the Shreeves, whose 5-year old son Gavin has a “rare autoinflammatory disease.” The family said they recently received two dozen letters from their insurer, UnitedHealthcare, telling them their physicians, therapists and lab technicians at All Children’s would no longer be in-network.

“It took us two years to put together our team of doctors,” Christina Shreeve said. “It runs like a well-oiled machine. I'm not going to get the same quality of care anywhere else.”

UnitedHealth is locked in an ongoing dispute over rates with All Children’s. The hospital asked for 60 percent increase in reimbursements, later lowering it to 35 percent, but UnitedHealth would only offer 20 percent. The contract expired May 11, and state law will allow patients receiving care to continue paying in-network rates for up to six months. In the Shreeve's case, however, UnitedHealth is only offering an extension through July 1, and the two sides don’t sound close to settling their differences.

"If they paid us anywhere near market (rate), I'd take it," said All Children’s President Jonathan Ellen, MD. "They just aren't negotiating in good faith."

Read the full article at the link below: