LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The management team and physicians of Lafayette, Ind. based Unity Healthcare have voted to terminate their contract with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield effective January 1, 2010. The decision was in response to Anthem’s proposal that includes significant cuts to reimbursement rates to Unity Healthcare providers. Approximately 60,000 Greater Lafayette residents will be affected by this change.

Unity says that in an environment of physician and nurse shortages, reimbursement rates are key to establishing and maintaining a high quality healthcare system.

“Decreasing reimbursement rates will have a direct, negative effect on our ability to invest in quality physicians, staff, new technologies and infrastructure,” said Gary Prah, M.D., President of Unity Healthcare. “Anthem’s proposal, combined with our region’s current physician shortage, may force patients to pay out-of-network penalties, wait longer to see a physician and increase the likelihood of out-of-town travel for treatments and procedures currently available at our facilities.”

Unity Healthcare leaders will continue to meet with Anthem in hopes that an agreement can be reached. In the interim, Unity is encouraging patients with Anthem coverage to learn more about the issues at unityhc.com/anthem and familiarize themselves with alternate insurance providers including Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare.

About Unity Healthcare:
Unity Healthcare is a medical network with over 75 general and specialty physicians serving Lafayette, Indiana and surrounding communities. Unity provides care for more than 200,000 patients per year and employs over 575 healthcare professionals. Unity Healthcare physicians provide an array of medical services with specialists in allergy and asthma, anesthesiology, gastroenterology, general and trauma surgery, immediate care, obstetrics and gynecology, occupational medicine, ophthalmology, oncology, orthopaedics, orthopedic spinal surgery, otolaryngology, neurology, pain management, pediatrics, phlebology, physical and occupational therapy, plastic surgery, podiatry, primary care, psychology, radiology, radiation oncology, urology, and many others.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Lafayette Online) — CIGNA HealthCare and St. Elizabeth Regional Health have reached a new contract maintaining in-network health-care benefits for CIGNA and Sagamore Health Network members at St. Elizabeth Regional Health facilities through 2011.

The contract affects all employer groups and payers using CIGNA and Sagamore networks and products through St. Elizabeth Regional Health’s hospitals in Lafayette, as well as an additional 11 hospitals owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Francis Health Services Inc.

“This agreement enables us to provide top-quality care to CIGNA and Sagamore members and the other people we serve at our hospitals and practice groups,” said Terry Wilson, president and chief executive officer of St. Elizabeth Regional Health.

“We are pleased to continue to effectively collaborate with St. Elizabeth and provide individuals with access to high quality health care throughout communities in Indiana and Illinois,” said Sue Podbielski, president, CIGNA HealthCare Midwest Market. “The new agreement reinforces our commitment to offer our members a comprehensive, quality health services network as a way to improve health, well-being and security.”

The following facilities will remain in the CIGNA HealthCare/Sagamore Health network:

• St. Elizabeth Medical Center (Lafayette, Ind.)
• Home Hospital (Lafayette, Ind.)
• St. Francis Hospital & Health Center (Indianapolis, Ind.)
• St. Francis Hospital & Health Center (Beech Grove, Ind.)
• St. Francis Hospital & Health Center (Mooresville, Ind.)
• St. Anthony Medical Center (Crown Point, Ind.)
• St. Anthony Memorial Health Center (Michigan City, Ind.)
• St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center (Hammond, Ind.)
• St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center (Dyer, Ind.)
• St. Clare Medical Center (Crawfordsville, Ind.)
• St. James Hospital & Health Center (Chicago Heights, Ill.)
• St. James Hospital & Health Center (Olympia Fields, Ill.)

In addition, the new contract includes Franciscan Physicians Hospital in Munster, Ind., which is in the process of being added to the CIGNA and Sagamore networks. Members with questions should call the 800 number on the back of identification cards. A full listing of CIGNA network participating hospitals is available at www.cigna.com.