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Beginning April 1, Bon Secours will be considered out-of-network for Cigna Healthcare unless a new contractual agreement is reached before then. This will only affect patients in Virginia and Ohio.

Affected Bon Secours hospitals in Hampton Roads are the Mary Immaculate Hospital, Maryview Medical Center, Southampton Medical Center, and Harborview Medical Center.

According to the Bon Secours website, Cigna’s payments to Bon Secours are no longer enough to cover the cost of provided care.

“Unfortunately, what Cigna pays our doctors, nurses and caregivers is not adequate to account for the cost of providing safe, quality care,” reads the website. “We need all of our payer partners to do their part. By failing to offer a sustainable contract, Cigna may be putting your in-network access to the facilities and providers you know and trust at risk.”

The website states that Cigna users who will have ongoing treatment or procedures scheduled after April 1 should immediately contact Cigna and ask for approval of Continuity of Care. This will allow patients to continue using Bon Secours at the in-network rates.

According to a Bon Secours press release, Cigna has not proved a rate increase to Bon Secours in over six years. The release also states that “Cigna’s high rates of claim denials have led to significant delays in life-sustaining care and created operational challenges to efficient patient care.”

Cigna’s website states Bon Secours is asking for a rate increase of more than 27% over five years.

A comment provided by a Cigna Healthcare spokesperson= reads as follows:

“It is disappointing that Bon Secours Mercy Health is choosing to leave our network on April 1. Bon Secours Mercy Health notified us of their intention to leave unless we agree to their significant rate increases across multiple markets, which would be detrimental to our local customers and their families. We hope that Bon Secours Mercy Health will do what is right for the people of Virginia and continue working with us to reach an affordable agreement.”

Cigna also urges Bon Secours patients to see if they qualify for Continuity of Care.