Ambulatory surgery centers throughout the Denver metro area have seen a sharp increase in patients seeking care since the Sept. 1 contract termination between HCA-HealthOne and United Healthcare, a trade group said Thursday.
The centers, which treat patients who do not require overnight stays, reported that patient counts have increased by as much as 44 percent, according to the Colorado Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.
For example, surgical centers operated by nonprofit Centura Health saw a 10 percent increase during September.
To handle the load, some centers have beefed up staffing significantly, the association said.
“The current dispute between United Healthcare and Health One has left thousands of Colorado’s patients in the lurch, and they’re in desperate need of immediate alternatives,” Rosalie Bodenhamer, the association’s president, said in a statement.
HealthOne is the metro area’s largest hospital system, operating seven hospitals, including Rose Medical Center and Swedish Medical Center.
The hospital operator on Sept. 1 terminated its contract with United, the state’s largest health insurer with 850,000 customers statewide. About 400,000 of those live in the metro area.
The contract impasse centers on reimbursement rates, which are paid by insurers to hospitals to cover the cost of care. The two sides continue to talk, but no progress has been reported.
The standoff means that Health One facilities are designated “out-of-network” for United members, except for emergencies. Patients pay more to use out-of-network hospitals.
Separately, United reached a contract extension with Exempla Healthcare, a nonprofit that operates three hospitals in the metro area: Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge, St. Joseph Hospital in Denver and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette. The agreement runs through 2008.
HealthOne has also recently reached deals with several health insurers, including Cigna HealthCare, Great-West Healthcare, Humana and Rocky Mountain Health Plans.
Staff writer Will Shanley can be reached at 303-954-1260 or wshanley@denverpost.com.
