A petition of 2,000 signatures garnered by a delegation of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania found its way to the desk of Altoona (Pa.) Regional Health System leaders requesting they reject a coming merger with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, according to a report by the Altoona Mirror.
The petition's signees feared Altoona's 44,000 patients insured by Highmark would be denied in-network coverage because UPMC announced it would allow its contract with Highmark to expire at the end of next year. The SEIU delegation also decried a lack of transparency in the two-year negotiating process between the boards of both systems.
Both health systems signed a letter of intent in February this year and announced they expected to close the deal by July 1.
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