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Postal workers out of network with local coverage
Sunday, December 23, 2007
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield and Clark County postal workers are among 1,500 county residents who have signed up for an insurance plan they will not be able to use in-network in Springfield.
Helmer Simjonovs, union steward for the local chapter of the American Postal Workers Union, said members were not aware CIGNA Healthcare was terminating its contract next year with Community Mercy Health Partners and participating physicians until they read an article in the Springfield News-Sun this month. Both the APWU and the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) are switching their insurance carrier to CIGNA in January.
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"I called our national office (after reading the article), Simjonovs said. "The APWA is working with CIGNA. For our members, the APWA is going to cover the cost for a 90 day transition period. If (CIGNA and Community Mercy) can't come to an agreement by then they will have to find another (hospital or physician)," he said.
CIGNA, in October, sent letters to Springfield area physicians who have exclusive privileges at Community Mercy-owned hospitals in Springfield and Urbana, stating their contracts would be terminated "without cause," because those hospitals will be out of CIGNA's network. Less than a half percent of the Community Mercy's billing for 2007 went to CIGNA, Community Mercy spokesman Jim Senese said. The hospital would have no way of knowing how many people are CIGNA members. "The only numbers we have are based on facility and service usage," he said.
The APWA, which represents window clerks, maintenance employees and truck drivers, offered two plans, CIGNA and a lower cost and coverage plan, Simjonovs said. He did not know how many letter carriers have CIGNA.
Federal employees at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base can also choose NALC insurance. Three of Wright Patt's 993 Clark County employees are with CIGNA, said base spokesman Derek Kaufman.
At this point the contract will be terminating Dec. 31," Senese said. "We just remain open to implementing a new agreement with CIGNA that is fair and reasonable.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0347 or kbaker@coxohio.com.
