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Blue Cross, UMMC: No developments in dispute

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<h1>Nearly four months in, still no developments in mediation between UMMC and Blue Cross</h1>
<p class=”byline”>by Will Stribling, Mississippi Today <br>September 20, 2022</p>

<p>The contract dispute between the state’s largest insurer and hospital is still not resolved more than three months after the two parties began mediation proceedings.</p>
<p>Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and University of Mississippi Medical Center have been locked in a <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2022/03/09/contract-dispute-mississippi-medical-center-blue-cross/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>dispute</a> over reimbursement rates throughout 2022. The Medical Center <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2022/04/01/ummc-goes-out-of-network-with-blue-cross-blue-shield/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>went out of network</a> with Blue Cross on March 31, and since then, thousands of Mississippians have been forced to take on <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2022/06/30/blue-cross-ummc-dispute-breaking-point/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>higher out-of-pocket costs</a> for their health care or <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2022/08/17/mississippian-gets-new-liver-after-insurance-dispute-forced-him-to-get-care-out-of-state/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>leave the state</a> for certain specialty care.</p>
<p>The two parties agreed to utilize a mediation process to settle the dispute in April after Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney urged them to do so. </p>
<p>“The commissioner (Mike Chaney) is certainly very hopeful that the parties can make great progress, if not find a resolution, by early June,” Mark Haire, deputy commissioner of insurance, told Mississippi Today in early May.</p>
<p>Evidently, that hope was misplaced. </p>
<p>Patrice Guilfoyle, director of communications at UMMC, told Mississippi Today on Tuesday that there’s “no update at this point” on mediation proceedings. Blue Cross did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication. </p>
<p>Chaney told Mississippi Today he has not had any contact with either party or the mediator relating to mediation since before Sept. 5. Under<a href=”https://www.sos.ms.gov/adminsearch/ACCode/00000306c.pdf” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”> state agency rules</a>, Chaney is not allowed to directly mediate or help settle disputes over contacts between insurance companies and health care providers. </p>
<p>There is no requirement the two parties come to an agreement.</p>
<p>A <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2022/07/01/chaney-announces-blue-cross-review/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>targeted market conduct examination</a> of Blue Cross that Chaney ordered on July 1 is ongoing. The examination is to determine whether the insurer is in compliance with the state’s network adequacy regulations since UMMC provides specialty care that cannot be found elsewhere in Mississippi.</p>
<p>Chaney told Mississippi Today on Tuesday that the network adequacy review is nearly complete but cannot be finished until UMMC provides his office with materials that have been subpoenaed.</p>
<p>“It (the network adequacy review) will probably be surprising to a lot of folks,” Chaney said.</p>
<p>Blue Cross <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2022/07/28/blue-cross-sues-top-ummc-officials-over-pr-campaign/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>sued</a> top UMMC employees on July 28 over the public relations campaign the hospital has been waging against the insurer due to their contract dispute. The insurer claims the campaign was “designed to disseminate false and defamatory statements about Blue Cross to the public.” </p>
<p>In advertisements and public statements made by employees, the claim was made that the insurer “excluded” UMMC from its network of providers, though it was UMMC who voluntarily allowed its contract with Blue Cross to expire. </p>
<p>It is unclear how that lawsuit has impacted the progress of mediation proceedings. </p>

<p>This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2022/09/20/no-developments-in-mediation-ummc-and-blue-cross/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://mississippitoday.org”>Mississippi Today</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src=”https://i0.wp.com/mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/MT_square-thumb.jpg?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”><img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https://mississippitoday.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=1082095&ga=UA-75003810-1″ style=”width:1px;height:1px;”></p>

Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: December 20-22

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-12-20 12:03:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (December 20-22), Mississippi offers a variety of festive events. In Jackson, enjoy Food Truck Friday, candlelight concerts, a Grinch movie screening, and Journey to the North Pole. In Ridgeland, experience Merry Bingo, Christmas on the Green, and Fleet Feet Coffee Run. Vicksburg hosts Rock the Halls, while Natchez offers a European Christmas Shopping Village. Other activities include Santa scuba diving at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, and Magic of Lights in Brandon. Hattiesburg features Lights of the Wild and Teddy Bear Tea with Santa. Numerous holiday events are available across the state.

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Mississippi News

Attorneys seek protective order in Jackson bribery case

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-12-19 14:36:00

SUMMARY: Prosecutors in Jackson are seeking a protective order to prevent the release of sensitive information in a bribery case involving Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and City Councilman Aaron Banks. The motion aims to protect personal, financial, and grand jury information, fearing it could impair investigations and fair trial rights. The three officials face charges related to a bribery scheme involving $80,000 in bribes for approving a real estate development project. Other individuals, including former City Councilwoman Angelique Lee and Sherik Marve Smith, are also implicated, with Smith pleading guilty to conspiracy.

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Mississippi News

Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse

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www.wjtv.com – MICHAEL R. SISAK and MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press – 2024-12-10 14:27:00

SUMMARY: Luigi Nicholas Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was arrested in Pennsylvania and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Mangione, who expressed disdain for corporate greed and the health insurance industry, was found with a gun matching the murder weapon and fraudulent IDs. He initially gave false identification but was recognized at a McDonald’s. Mangione, who wrote a three-page document expressing anti-corporate sentiments, is being extradited to New York. His family, shocked by his arrest, expressed condolences to Thompson’s family. Mangione had no prior criminal complaints but had a history of severe back pain.

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