Bon Secours, Cigna reach agreement, keeping 30K Virginians in network

Health care system Bon Secours and commercial health insurer Cigna have reached a deal to keep more than 30,000 Virginians in network, averting interruptions in care and higher health care costs for patients after months of protracted contract negotiations and uncertainty.

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The new multiyear agreement, reached by the Catholic health care system and insurer April 1 following a 24-hour deadline extension, means that Bon Secours hospitals, doctors, urgent care centers, ambulatory surgical centers and other care centers will remain in network and accessible to Virginia residents whose workplace health insurance is provided by Cigna.

"We believe that access to quality health care services is vital for our community members. After several months of negotiations, we are pleased to have reached a new agreement that protects our patients' access to affordable, compassionate care close to home," Dr. C. Bart Rountree, executive medical director of women's and children's services for Bon Secours Richmond, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The crux of the contract conflict, Bon Secours previously said, was Cigna's reimbursement rates, which the health care system said were not "keeping pace with inflation and are below fair market standards. Being fairly reimbursed by our payer partners [insurance companies] is what enables us to continue to deliver the highest quality of care to our patients."

Cigna, in turn, had alleged that Bon Secours wanted a rate increase equaling 30% over five years, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The dispute had been dragging on since August of 2024, fueling concern from patients insured through Cigna as they watched and wondered if they would still be able to see their preferred provider at Bon Secours facilities should negotiations fail.

But a state law enacted in 2024 allows health care providers to continue treating patients at least 90 days after the provider disconnects from the insurer's network. Pregnant people can continue receiving care during the postpartum period under the measure. Patients with a life-threatening condition may receive up to 180 days of care after their provider goes out of network, and people being treated at in-patient facilities may continue to be cared for by their provider until they are discharged.

The following Bon Secours hospitals in Virginia are affected by the health system's renewed agreement with Cigna:

Hampton Roads

Mary Immaculate Hospital.Maryview Medical Center.Southampton Medical Center.Harbour View Medical Center.

Richmond

Memorial Regional Medical Center.Rappahannock General Hospital.Richmond Community Hospital.St. Francis Medical Center.St. Mary's Hospital.

This story was originally published in the Virginia Mercury.