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Help line to help handle Highmark, UPMC complaints
The state Attorney General's Office is offering intermediaries to help Pennsylvanians pursue complaints against Downtown-based UPMC and Highmark Inc., Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced Monday.
State workers can contact UPMC or Highmark on behalf of patients who have conflicts with either entity, “depending on the nature of the conflict,” Kane's office said in a statement.
Specialists at its toll-free help line — 844-743-2015 — are available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays to field complaints. People who call at other times can leave messages.
“Call process times will vary, but help line specialists will take whatever time is needed to guide consumers through the process,” the office said.
Highmark, the largest health insurer in Pennsylvania, declined to comment, as did UPMC, which runs the largest hospital network in the region.
A commercial contract that provided Highmark subscribers with in-network coverage at UPMC ended Dec. 31, sparking confusion over access to and pricing for medical services. State-negotiated consent decrees are supposed to let Highmark subscribers keep seeing UPMC doctors for ongoing care of some medical conditions.
In-network access for Highmark subscribers continues at some UPMC facilities, including Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in Lawrenceville.
A state website, stayinformed.pa.gov, explains many of the changes. Callers to the help line should be ready to describe “in as much detail as possible” their conflicts with UPMC or Highmark, according to Kane's office.
Help line workers are on hand to help with questions about the consent decrees, the availability of UPMC services and related concerns, Kane spokeswoman Carolyn Myers said.
“Research has indicated that what consumers want most during the transition is to connect with a person who can walk them through the process,” Myers said in an email. She said money collected from UPMC and Highmark under the consent decrees will pay for the help line and other outreach.
Kane's office advises callers to provide any correspondence received from either company, along with details of their insurance coverage.
Adam Smeltz is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5676 or asmeltz@tribweb.com.
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