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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Details were being finalized in an agreement that would allow some Highmark insurance enrollees to continue getting in-network coverage for UPMC doctors and facilities under certain circumstances after a contract between the two western Pennsylvania health care giants ends Jan. 1.
Lawmakers were told an announcement was possible Friday after a Thursday announcement by Gov. Tom Corbett and Attorney General Kathleen Kane was postponed amid last-minute wrangling.
Most Highmark subscribers otherwise stand to lose in-network access to UPMC doctors and hospitals after Dec. 31, meaning they'd pay higher rates.
UPMC is western Pennsylvania's dominant network, with 22 hospitals and 400 outpatient sites. It complains that Highmark is now a competitor, since the insurer recently acquired seven area hospitals from Erie to Pittsburgh.
Highmark insurance covers 3.2 million people in western Pennsylvania.
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