PROVIDENCE – Care New England issued a news release Monday saying that R.I. Health Insurance Commissioner Christopher F. Koller had agreed to waive conditions imposed July 2 by his office on current negotiations between Care New England and UnitedHealthcare of New England, according to May Kernan, senior vice president of communications at Care New England.
The agreement was reached after dialogue between the parties following a lawsuit filed Nov. 30 in Superior Court, challenging the right of Koller to impose such conditions, Kernan said.
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As part of the agreement, Care New England agreed with several goals that underlie the original conditions and incorporated them in their proposal to UnitedHealthcare, Kernan said. These included: administrative simplification, payment methodology, and quality of care, according to Kernan.
Care New England’s primary goal in filing its lawsuit, according to John J. Hynes, president and CEO of Care New England, was to help clear the pathway toward resolution of the current negotiating impasse with United, in hopes of reaching an agreement before the current contract expires on Dec. 31.
“Our first and foremost interest is assuring there will be no disruption or inconvenience to our patients in their coverage for services,” Hynes said. “We ask United to now come back to the table with an eye toward settlement. It is what the business and patient community wants and expects from both sides.”
Commissioner Koller could not be reached for comment.
Today’s agreement has no bearing on that part of the Care New England lawsuit that seeks to stop the Commissioner from setting aside an existing contract provision between Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and Care New England, according to Kernan.
