On the other side of the agreement, UpTM insurance holders will not suddenly have access to all facilities in the Allegheny Health Network. “I am proud to announce today this historic colony that restores equity and access to affordable care for the people of western Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said in a written statement. “Without this agreement, millions of patients… they would have abruptly reissued their health care. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — In the solemn zeal of the moment to announce the 10-year agreement between UPMC and Attorney General Josh Shapiro, he said, “All UPMC hospitals and practitioners are now an option for highmark safety. Currently, UPMC has only coverage agreements with Jefferson Hospital in Pleasant Hills and St. Vincent d`Erie Hospital. “There are these high-quality low-cost plans, Community Blue is one of them that won`t be affected by this agreement, they will always be limited to the Allegheny health network, because they were never part of the UPMC network in the beginning.” Community Blue is an attractive Highmark option because of its lower costs, but subscribers knew there was no UPMC access and this agreement will not suddenly open up the doors of UPMC. “This agreement literally saved my husband`s life,” said Lara Larson of Warren, Pennsylvania. “If this agreement had not been reached, it would not be here. The following year, our experience was fantastic. My husband sees the doctors who know him and who know his history.
It was huge to mitigate it, and this order of approval gave me access to the resources and collaborators my husband needs to look after him. HARRISBURG – Attorney General Josh Shapiro today celebrated the one-year anniversary of the pioneering agreement between Highmark and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The agreement, announced on June 24, 2019, guarantees that Pennsylvanians with Highmark health insurance can receive treatment from UPMC facilities for the next decade and vice versa. “As a resident of the City of Pittsburgh, the impending separation between Highmark and UPMC in 2019 was a terrible obstacle to the development of trustworthy and accessible health care. This would have left me without access to nearby hospitals and, more importantly, would have prevented me from continuing to care for all my doctors and physiotherapists,” said Heidi Wettlaufer of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To my surprise and esteem, I learned that an agreement had been reached during my visit to my doctor, which we both thought would be our last joint visit in June 2019. What began as a medical visit with a sad farewell turned into a solemn visit that allowed me to talk about my health. I am very grateful to Attorney General Shapiro for supporting this agreement that puts patient care, not business interests, at the centre of health care. In this period of COVID 19, I cannot imagine that this agreement is anything but the best for patients, their health teams and the community. UPMC believes in the importance of informed consumer choice and has always tried to ensure that, when UPMC is part of an insurance network, these members have full access to UPMC, with no contractual terms that are used to prevent or restrict the use of UPMC physicians and facilities. This important consumer issue has been addressed collaboratively, and the UPMC network will now be available to Highmark members. UPMC believes that we were able to conclude this agreement with Highmark through a long-term network contract. What is the impact of the Highmark and UPMC agreement on Medicare Advantage? A UPMC spokesperson said the agreement does not require Highmark to include UPMC in all insurance products. But if it contains UPMC, it must include all UPMC physicians, hospitals and services, and Highmark members do not charge more a-pocket to go to UPMC than highmarks allegheny Health Network or other network providers.