The University of Akron and Akron General Health System have buried the scalpel.
The school announced a last-minute agreement Friday morning that will keep the health care system as an in-network provider for employees next year.
The deal was worked out between Akron General and Apex Health Solutions, which handles the school’s health benefits.
If a compromise hadn’t been reached, many school employees and their families would have had to pay higher out-of-network costs to be treated at Akron General facilities and by many affiliated doctors.
“We are grateful to Akron General’s leadership team for its willingness to continue as an in-network participant for the upcoming year,” UA Chief Financial Officer Nathan Mortimer wrote in an email to workers. “We also extend our appreciation to Apex Health Solutions, the third-party administrator of our employee health benefits plan, for its assistance in reaching this outcome.”
Akron General also said it’s pleased that it will continue to provide service without any insurance disruption.
“Akron General has over 100 years of service to the community and we value our relationship with the University of Akron and the hundreds of university employees and family members that we have the privilege to care for today,” Akron General spokeswoman Stephanie York said in an email.
The health system and UA were feuding earlier this year over the insurance issue and blaming each other for the lack of an agreement.
Dr. Thomas “Tim” Stover, president and chief executive officer of Akron General, wrote a strongly worded letter to about 1,800 UA employees saying his health system was being cut out.
The dispute revolved around Akron General’s contract with Apex, SummaCare’s program for self-insured employers that’s controlled by Akron General rival Summa Health System.
The contract between Akron General and Apex expired at the end of this year. Meanwhile, the Apex contract with UA expires at the end of next year.
The university says it will seek proposals next year for a company to administer its employee health benefits.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.