UPMC Dropping Prepayments Policy for Some Patients

PITTSBURGH (AP) — University Pittsburgh Medical Center is dropping plans to seek prepayment from out-of-network Highmark Medicare Advantage patients when consent decrees linking the competing health care giants end on June 30. In a news released posted on its website Wednesday, UPMC said it would accept direct payment from Highmark at the same rate that UPMC Health Plan now pays Highmark’s Allegheny Health Network hospitals.