An agreement between MercyOne and insurance company Humana expires on Jan. 1, 2025. If the pair cannot come to an agreement soon, patients may be at risk of losing their providers.
In an emailed statement, a MercyOne spokesperson said the hospital network, which includes MercyOne Genesis in the Quad-Cities area, is, "committed to working with Humana to reach a fair agreement that appropriately covers the true cost of the care we provide to our patients in Iowa (and Illinois) who have a Humana Medicare Advantage plan."
Humana responded Thursday afternoon, saying the company's focus is on patients receiving high-quality and affordable health care, but Trinity Health, the parent organization of MercyOne, was making that difficult, according to an emailed statement.
"When health systems like Trinity Health make significant financial demands during contract negotiations, it's important to understand that these requests will ultimately increase healthcare costs for patients," read a statement.
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More information can be found online at: www.humana.com/member/humana-provider-networks.
Online, MercyOne released a statement on its website MercyOne.org/Humana saying the health insurance company was not putting patients first.
"Without them doing their part, access to care is at risk. MercyOne provides high-quality care in our community while doing our part to make health care affordable — in 2023 alone, we've invested $200.7 million," the statement read. "Meanwhile, Humana has made it increasingly difficult for us to invest in the medical innovations, technologies, and programs patients rely on by delaying patient care or refusing to pay for care altogether."
For the time being, all MercyOne locations, including MercyOne Genesis, will remain in-network with no changes. Patients who have a Humana Medicare Advantage plan should continue scheduling appointments and receive care at MercyOne hospitals and facilities, according to the spokesperson.
"As a not-for-profit organization, rising supply and labor costs have made it difficult to maintain the high-quality of care patients deserve. MercyOne relies on fair payment to provide the care, and services patients depend on and need," a provided statement read.
Patients are encouraged to explore their insurance options during the Annual Enrollment Period which runs Oct. 15—Dec. 7, 2024. MercyOne is also encouraging patients to call Humana to ask to maintain their access to MercyOne and its providers.
More information and a list of plans that will include MercyOne providers in 2025 can be found online or by calling MercyOne Genesis at 563-293-5050. All other MercyOne locations can be reached at 515-4488450.
This marks the second time this year MercyOne Genesis, formerly known as Genesis Health System, has been at odds with an insurance provider. In May, the hospital went through a similar situation with United Health Care after the pair could not come to a contract agreement.
The situation was resolved a few days before the original contract was set to expire.
