St. Bernards Healthcare has ended its negotiations with UnitedHealthcare, transitioning more than 300 healthcare providers in the system to out-of-network status effective Friday, March 1. However, the Jonesboro facility and all related inpatient and outpatient remain in-network for now.
“CrossRidge is in network with United until August 14,” said Gary Sparks, administrator of CrossRidge Community Hospital in Wynne. “St. Bernards goes out of network May 1. Many physicians went out of network on March 1. That doesn’t mean you can’t go to a particular hospital or doctor, but you may be asked to pay something additional to continue to see your doctor.”
Sparks said the communications breakdown with UnitedHealthcare is nothing new in Arkansas as the same situation has happened in Conway and Little Rock.
“They (United) wait until the agreement is out of date, out of network, and then start talking,” he said. “That doesn’t seem logical to me, but that’s what United has done with others in Arkansas.”
Chris Barber, president and CEO of St. Bernards Healthcare, echoed those sentiments in a release to the media, stating, “We value our partners at St. Bernards because they contribute vital services to the health of our community. Regrettably, we believe a common theme emerges – UnitedHealthcare has a record of strained relationships with healthcare providers. With St. Bernards, UnitedHealthcare’s inaction and lack of urgency made it clear to us that UnitedHealthcare did not wish to establish a mutually equitable relationship. Therefore, there will be no further discussion pertaining to the 2024 plan year.
“In our opinion, UnitedHealthcare could have taken action, shielding its members from this uncertainty,” Barber concluded. “It did not have to be this way, but we cannot move forward under any agreement that we believe compromises our community’s overall health, wellness and safety.”
St. Bernards has provided an FAQ regarding the situation with UnitedHealthcare. For questions, patients can also call 870-207-1888 or 870-207-1889 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
