Ten Mississippi hospitals owned by Health Management Associates have filed suit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi, claiming the payer shortchanged them by a cumulative of at least $13 million in improperly reduced inpatient payments, according to a Clarion Ledger report.
The hospitals, each owned by Naples, Fla.-based Health Management, claim BCBS of Mississippi reduced inpatient payments by rewording specific sections of its policy manual to reflect those changes instead of negotiating payment adjustments with the hospitals.
The lawsuit claims BCBS and the hospitals typically enter into contracts, and any changes to those contracts must be agreed to with "mutual written consent," according to the report.
The hospitals that are plaintiffs in the suit are: Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson; Crossgates River Oaks Hospital in Brandon; Madison River Oaks Medical Center in Canton; River Oaks Hospital in Flowood; Woman's Hospital in Flowood; Biloxi (Miss.) Regional Medical Center; Gilmore Regional Medical Center in Amory; Natchez (Miss.) Community Hospital; Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in Clarksdale; and Tri-Lakes Medical Center in Batesville.
The lawsuit seeks to recover the amount it says the hospitals have been underpaid, which is more than $13 million, according to the report.
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