Mississippi News
Blue Cross, UMMC: No developments in dispute
<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
Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial
SUMMARY: In connection with the Jackson bribery scandal, attorneys for federal officials and local leaders filed a motion to postpone the trial to allow time for extensive evidence review, including hours of recordings and thousands of pages of documents. Key figures charged include Hinds County DA Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and Councilman Aaron Banks, each facing multiple counts of conspiracy related to bribery and fraud. The scandal involves alleged bribes amounting to over $80,000 related to a downtown development project, facilitated by individuals posing as real estate developers working with the FBI.
The post Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death
SUMMARY: Nearly two years after Dexter Wade’s death, his family continues seeking justice. On November 20, Dexter Wade Day was observed in Jackson, declared by Councilman Kenneth Stokes. Wade, hit by a Jackson police cruiser in March 2023, was later found in a pauper’s grave in Hinds County, and his mother, Bettersten Wade, was unaware of his death until August 2023. She believes his death was covered up. No arrests have been made, and authorities consider it an accident. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade expressed condolences and shared updates on new policies to prevent similar tragedies.
The post Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Man shot while helping with stalled vehicle in Jackson
SUMMARY: A man was shot in Jackson, Mississippi, while attempting to assist a person with a stalled vehicle on State Street at Beasley Road around 4:00 p.m. on November 20. Detective Tommie Brown reported that the victim was working on the vehicle when the suspect approached, questioned him, and then opened fire. The assailant fled the scene in a vehicle. Fortunately, the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. The Jackson Police Department is seeking information about the incident and encourages anyone with details to contact them or Crime Stoppers.
The post Man shot while helping with stalled vehicle in Jackson appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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