Cigna contract negotiations update

DALLAS – Nov. 22, 2019 – Despite Southwestern Health Resources’ good-faith efforts to negotiate fair-market rates that ensure patients have access to the largest, highest-quality healthcare network in the region, our negotiations with Cigna have reached an impasse. The heart of this issue is the need to focus on quality and total cost of care.

Cigna insists on looking at expenses from an outdated unit cost approach. Southwestern Health Resources has focused intensely on cost-of-care approaches that have proven to reduce total costs, save money and improve outcomes for Medicare patients and commercially insured North Texans.

In fact, based on information provided by Cigna, Southwestern Health Resources cares for more patients with complex medical conditions than other providers and does so effectively.  Despite this higher complexity of care, our patients have seen lower costs over the last four years than patients who use other networks. More complex health issues require more highly skilled resources and better coordination of care.

We’re proud to be the driving force of this high-quality, affordable care model for all North Texans. That’s why we are deeply disappointed by Cigna’s recent misrepresentations.  We remain optimistic that they will work with us on an agreement that is in the best interest of employers, physicians and, most importantly, patients.