Saint Alphonsus, Aetna in contract dispute that could increase costs for Boise-area patients
Saint Alphonsus Health System is warning patients they may need to pay more to receive care at their hospitals if a new agreement cannot be reached with Aetna group Medicare Advantage by the end of the year.
In a note obtained by the Idaho Statesman, Dave McFadyen, president and CEO of Trinity Health West Region, explained that the contract between SAHS and Aetna will expire Jan. 1, 2025. If the sides can’t come to an agreement, SAHS says, it will be forced out of the Aetna network and patients may have to pay more when seeking care with one of their hospitals, clinics or providers.
There are approximately 108 SAHS locations in the Boise area. Saint Alphonsus is part of Trinity Health.
“We know how important it is for you and your family to continue receiving care from the trusted doctors, nurses and staff at Saint Alphonsus Health System. As a not-for-profit local care provider, we work tirelessly to care for our patients and communities,” McFadyen wrote in the letter. “We also continue to reduce costs and implement efficiencies to ensure we can continue providing top-quality care to our patients.”
McFayden is encouraging patients in the letter to reach out to Aetna and tell them “your health should come first —not their profits.”
The letter also lists ways to contact Aetna and encourage a resolution. Patients can call the number on the back of their insurance card and urge Aetna to keep in-network access to SAHS facilities and doctors. If patients are covered under a Medicare Advantage group plan through Aetna, they can contact their employer or the number on the back of their insurance card to determine their benefit options.
Phil Blando, an external affairs representative at Aetna, responded in a text message to the Statesman: “Our network agreement with Saint Alphonsus for Commercial and Medicare health plans ends on Dec. 31 and we are in the contract renewal process. We are hopeful that we will reach an agreement that keeps them in our networks while keeping health care services affordable for our members and health plan sponsors.”
For more details and the most recent updates, visit SaintAlphonsus.org/Aetna or call (208) 834-7830.
This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 12:45 PM.
