Christiana Issues Statement on Newly Announced UPMC Prepay Rule
CENTER TWP. – Rep. Jim Christiana (R-Beaver/Washington) today issued the following statement on UPMC’s announcement that it will soon require out-of-network patients to prepay to receive nonemergency medical care prior to treatment:
“These situations occur when tax-exempt nonprofits run their organizations like Fortune 500 companies, and the Legislature doesn’t have the guts to stand up to them.
“The health care landscape is rapidly changing, and our public policy needs updated to protect patients from the market being dominated by a few organizations.
“I hope my colleagues are sick and tired of having their constituents leveraged for market share, because I’ve been tired of it for a while. We are headed toward an oligopoly, and patients are at the mercy of these companies unless the Legislature puts permanent solutions in place.”
In 2014, Christiana led a bipartisan legislative effort in the state House of Representatives aimed at protecting patient access and choice in the health care marketplace as tensions amplified in an ongoing contract dispute between UPMC and Highmark. The result was a state-mediated agreement between the two organizations, which is set to expire in June 2019.
Representative Jim Christiana
15th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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