Mississippi News
Blue Cross, UMMC: No developments in dispute
Nearly four months in, still no developments in mediation between UMMC and Blue Cross
The contract dispute between the state's largest insurer and hospital is still not resolved more than three months after the two parties began mediation proceedings.
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and University of Mississippi Medical Center have been locked in a dispute over reimbursement rates throughout 2022. The Medical Center went out of network with Blue Cross on March 31, and since then, thousands of Mississippians have been forced to take on higher out-of-pocket costs for their health care or leave the state for certain specialty care.
The two parties agreed to utilize a mediation process to settle the dispute in April after Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney urged them to do so.
“The commissioner (Mike Chaney) is certainly very hopeful that the parties can make great progress, if not find a resolution, by early June,” Mark Haire, deputy commissioner of insurance, told Mississippi Today in early May.
Evidently, that hope was misplaced.
Patrice Guilfoyle, director of communications at UMMC, told Mississippi Today on Tuesday that there's “no update at this point” on mediation proceedings. Blue Cross did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
Chaney told Mississippi Today he has not had any contact with either party or the mediator relating to mediation since before Sept. 5. Under state agency rules, Chaney is not allowed to directly mediate or help settle disputes over contacts between insurance companies and health care providers.
There is no requirement the two parties come to an agreement.
A targeted market conduct examination of Blue Cross that Chaney ordered on July 1 is ongoing. The examination is to determine whether the insurer is in compliance with the state's network adequacy regulations since UMMC provides specialty care that cannot be found elsewhere in Mississippi.
Chaney told Mississippi Today on Tuesday that the network adequacy review is nearly complete but cannot be finished until UMMC provides his office with materials that have been subpoenaed.
“It (the network adequacy review) will probably be surprising to a lot of folks,” Chaney said.
Blue Cross sued top UMMC employees on July 28 over the public relations campaign the hospital has been waging against the insurer due to their contract dispute. The insurer claims the campaign was “designed to disseminate false and defamatory statements about Blue Cross to the public.”
In advertisements and public statements made by employees, the claim was made that the insurer “excluded” UMMC from its network of providers, though it was UMMC who voluntarily allowed its contract with Blue Cross to expire.
It is unclear how that lawsuit has impacted the progress of mediation proceedings.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Calm for tonight with thunderstorms by Sunday afternoon – Home – WCBI TV
SUMMARY: A few spotty showers are possible this evening, with thunderstorms expected tomorrow afternoon and into the overnight hours. Temperatures will reach the lower 90s by the middle of next week. Tonight, expect a few spotty showers with overnight lows in the mid 60s. Tomorrow will start off mild with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the middle 80s. Rainy conditions will continue into next week with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Heavier rain is expected by Thursday as a cold front pushes through.
The post Calm for tonight with thunderstorms by Sunday afternoon – Home – WCBI TV appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
2nd Jackson man sentenced for bank fraud scheme
SUMMARY: Ronald Gardner, a Jackson man, was sentenced to 61 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He and his co-conspirator, Anthony Craig Myrick, opened an account at a Jackson bank in someone else's name, deposited counterfeit U.S. Treasury checks, withdrew the cash, and used false identification cards. Gardner admitted to manufacturing the counterfeit checks and using another person's identity. The scheme affected at least 10 victims. Both Gardner and Myrick were indicted and pled guilty, with Myrick receiving a 26-month sentence. They were also ordered to pay restitution to the bank.
The post 2nd Jackson man sentenced for bank fraud scheme appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Multiple Vicksburg homes damaged by gunfire
SUMMARY: Vicksburg police are investigating a shooting incident where multiple homes and a vehicle were damaged by gunfire on May 3. No injuries were reported, but there were spent shell casings from different caliber weapons found at the scene. The incident occurred on Meadowvale Drive just before 9:30 p.m. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Vicksburg Police Department.
The post Multiple Vicksburg homes damaged by gunfire appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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