NewYork-Presbyterian has resolved a monthslong contract dispute with the insurer Healthfirst, allowing the hospital system to remain in-network for some 2 million New Yorkers with coverage through the nonprofit.
The agreement, confirmed Tuesday by the hospital and the insurer, is welcome news to patients throughout the region. Some with Healthfirst coverage worried they would have to leave longtime health care providers after the insurer announced over the summer that NewYork-Presbyterian’s hospitals, along with thousands of affiliated physicians, would no longer be in-network as of Nov. 3.
As of Tuesday morning, NewYork-Presbyterian’s website had been updated to inform patients with Healthfirst insurance that their care would continue to be covered after that date.
“We are pleased to share that NewYork-Presbyterian has reached an agreement with Healthfirst,” the hospital network posted online. “We understand that this situation may have caused stress and uncertainty for you and your family.”
Loren Riegelhaupt, a spokesperson for Healthfirst, said the insurer is reaching out to members about the news.
“Our utmost priority has been, and will always be, ensuring that our members can continue to access the care they need and deserve,” Riegelhaupt said in a statement. “We are supporting members to ensure they know that their in-network access to the NewYork-Presbyterian system remains unchanged and to help them with any questions or concerns."
Healthfirst initially stirred panic among some patients over the summer when the insurer announced that NewYork-Presbyterian had abruptly canceled a multiyear contract prematurely.
Angela Karafazli, a spokesperson for NewYork-Presbyterian, told Gothamist earlier this month the hospital network had intended to continue negotiations over contract terms that were in dispute even after issuing a notice of termination.
Hospitals and insurers routinely negotiate over payment rates, but in recent years, it’s become more common for major hospital networks and health plans to publicly threaten to cut ties — leaving patients in limbo as they wait to see if the conflict is resolved.
