The MercyOne health organization and health insurer Aetna have reached a multi-year agreement that will allow patients to maintain in-network access to MercyOne hospitals and health facilities – including those facilities in the Quad Cities.
The agreement was announced late Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 31.
“We are pleased to share Aetna, a CVS Health company, and MercyOne have reached a multi-year agreement that will allow our valued patients and members to maintain the in-network access to the MercyOne hospitals, facilities, and health care providers they trust. We are thankful for everyone’s patience and support as we worked together to reach a fair agreement,” according to a statement released Tuesday by MercyOne officials.
The brief statement did not include any details on the new agreement.
MercyOne patients were notified in November that if the health care system and Aetna failed to reach a new contract agreement before the end of 2024, all of its providers and facilities would be considered outside Aetna’s network beginning Jan. 1.
That out-of-network status would have meant patients would be forced to pay more medical expenses out of their own pockets if they kept their Aetna commercial or Medicare health care plans.
Humana talks ongoing
Meanwhile, according to MercyOne’s website, as of Thursday, Jan. 2, it had not reached an agreement with Humana insurance network. That means beginning Jan. 1 those who are covered by a Humana Medicare Advantage plan for the 2025 benefit year will be impacted.
“We will not give up trying to reach a fair agreement with Humana,” the post promised. “We know how important it is for you and your family to continue receiving care from the trusted doctors, nurses and staff at MercyOne.”
MercyOne also offered information here that includes “how to tell Humana that your health care and relationship with MercyOne is important.”
Previously, MercyOne and Genesis reached a three-year pact with UnitedHealthCare on Friday, June 28, 2024, to the relief of Quad Citians who worried for weeks about whether their doctor would be out of network on July 1, 2024.
Before Tuesday’s announcement, MercyOne officials had blamed Aetna for raising premiums and out-of-pocket costs for its members to boost profits, which MercyOne said topped $5.6 billion in 2023.
“We are hopeful that we will reach an agreement that keeps them in our networks while keeping health care services affordable for our members and health plan sponsors,” Aetna officials said in a statement in early December.
MercyOne includes the Genesis medical facilities in the Quad Cities region.
MercyOne is a member of Trinity Health, based in Livonia, Michigan, and one of the largest not-for-profit Catholic health care systems in the nation.
