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Humana and Baptist Health reach a deal to restore patients' in-network access to local doctors

The image shows a red stethoscope laying atop some papers and a $100 bill.
tOrange.us
Baptist Health and Humana were in negotiations for more than half a year.

A lengthy impasse over insurance coverage between Baptist Health and Humana affected a lot of patients in Louisville. It finally ended Thursday.

Patients with Humana health insurance will soon regain lower in-network rates when they’re treated by doctors with Baptist Health Medical Group.

The medical group includes over 1,100 physicians and advanced practice clinicians in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Baptist announced Thursday that it struck a new deal with Humana after over six months of negotiations.

A lot of patients lost in-network coverage with Baptist's medical group last September. People with Medicare Advantage plans through Humana or whose employers provided Humana’s commercial insurance were affected.

Patients generally had to find in-network health care providers elsewhere or pay higher out-of-pocket fees if they kept seeing a clinician with the medical group.

They can get in-network coverage again starting in April, according to Thursday's news release.

Baptist previously cited concerns about Medicare Advantage plans, which are provided by Humana and other insurers, routinely denying or delaying payments for medical services recommended by patients' doctors.

The group also went out-of-network with UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare's Medicare Advantage plans in January. An updated chart on Baptist's website indicates that's still the case.

This story may be updated.

Morgan is LPM's health & environment reporter. Email Morgan at mwatkins@lpm.org.

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