Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and United Healthcare announced on July 1 that the entities had reached a multi-year agreement that continues in-network access for UHC’s commercial members.
The deal comes just hours after certain kinds of coverage was set to expire for UHC customers who were insured through an employer.
MSK has a large treatment center in West Harrison.
The agreement means that current and new UHC-insured patients could continue to receive care at MSK without interruption.
MSK reported that the July 1 agreement included rate adjustments consistent with those of other National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in Manhattan.
“We have reached an agreement with UnitedHealthcare that protects access to MSK for thousands of patients and ensures we can continue delivering the highest standard of cancer care,” said Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS, President & CEO of MSK. “This agreement recognizes the value of MSK’s specialized cancer care model and allows us to continue advancing our mission to end cancer for life.”
Insurance deal one of several across NY hospitals, health facilities
The negotiations reflected similar agreements recently reached between New York hospitals or medical facilities.
NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals and health providers inked a deal last year to stay in-network for Aetna patients; Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Memorial Sloan Kettering penned a similar deal. Last fall, WellNow urgent care centers reinstated in-network coverage for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield insurance customers after being out-of-network for nearly a year as the two parties negotiated an agreement.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Memorial Sloan Kettering, United Healthcare eke out deal as coverage set to end
Reporting by Nancy Cutler, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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