'I feel I have no control': Dispute between Cigna, WakeMed leaves patients in limbo
WakeMed and insurance provider Cigna are in a contract dispute that could leave Cigna-covered patients unable to use the WakeMed health network.
WakeMed sent a letter to patients this week informing them they will not recognize Cigna as an insurance provider on Jan. 1.
“For the last several months, WakeMed has been working in good faith with Cigna to come to a contract agreement that protects your access to the health care you need. Unfortunately, Cigna has, so far, been unwilling to agree to a new, reasonable contract with us,” WakeMed said in the letter.
According to the letter, 210 PET Imaging and physician specialists would no longer be considered in-network for Cigna.
Julia Brinton, a mother of two children with another on the way, is a patient of UWH of the Carolinas, which is also in negotiations with Cigna. Brinton worries that she might have to find a new OBGYN if the two sides can’t reach an agreement.
“It’s disgusting to think I need to find and form a new relationship for something as intimate as this,” Brinton said.
This isn't the first time WakeMed has been in a contract dispute with an insurance provider.
UnitedHealthcare and WakeMed were in a dispute for six months in 2022; a deal was reached by the two sides in November of that year. UnitedHealthcare described that agreement as a "multi-year relationship," but did not include details of the length of the contract or any new costs to subscribers.
Brinton says she feels like she’s at the mercy of the two sides.
“I feel I have no control,” she said. “You just feel like you have no control over this, you are a tiny fish in a giant pond.”
UWH is asking their patients not to cancel appointments as negotiations are ongoing.
As for Brinton, she is considering paying out of pocket to remain with her longtime OBGYN.
Cigna provided WRAL News with a statement that alleges WakeMed has refused several attempts to extend the contract and says WakeMed's demands would make health care more expensive for Cigna-insured people.
The insurance provider said they are prepared to help their clients find in-network providers if the two sides can't reach an agreement.
