A dispute between UnitedHealth Group and Mednax, a physician staffing firm that provides anesthesiology services at some ASCs, could exacerbate the problem of surprise medical billing, Axios reports.
What you should know:
1. If the two groups can't agree on contract terms, Mednax's anesthesiologists, neonatologists and obstetricians could go out of network for UnitedHealth patients in Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina at staggered dates as early as March.
2. Alleging that Mednax charges at least 60 percent more than the average in those states, a spokesperson from Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth told Axios that the insurer sent Mednax a proposal to reduce rates but never received any counteroffers.
3. In a statement to Axios, Sunrise, Fla.-based Mednax countered that UnitedHealth's payment terms were presented on a "take-it-or-leave-it basis" and that Mednax's request for a 60-day extension was rejected.
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