Hospital operator fails to show for talks after offer gets no response

Hospital Corporation of America, the operator of Sunrise Health System hospitals, said Tuesday that it made an offer last week to settle contract negotiations with a health care coalition representing more than 275,000 Southern Nevadans.

When HCA didn't receive a response by Monday, it didn't show up for scheduled negotiations, said Rob Dyer, senior vice president of strategy and development for HCA's Far West Division.

HCA has been dueling with the Health Services Coalition, a group that negotiates health plans for about 20 employers and labor groups including the Culinary Health Fund, Caesars Entertainment Corp., Clark County and Las Vegas firefighters.

The coalition issued a statement Feb. 11 saying the stalled negotiations could leave their more than 275,000 members paying out-of-network costs at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center, MountainView Hospital and four HCA surgical centers.

The coalition said it hopes to gain a new three- to four-year contract before the current contract extension expires at midnight Feb. 29. It has been requesting another temporary extension to continue negotiations. HCA said it declined to extend again because it wants to avoid having to negotiate indefinitely.

During failed negotiations Feb. 10, the two groups agreed to meet again at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Laborer's Union Local 872 office, coalition spokeswoman Jennifer Lopez said.

The coalition, one of the largest payer groups in Southern Nevada composed of self-funded groups, was "left standing alone at the table," a coalition statementissued Tuesday said.

Stacie Sasso, the coalition's co-chairwoman, said the group received the offer by email and was planning to review it at the Monday meeting with HCA.

"HCA refused to meet with the coalition in person to negotiate an agreement. As a result, coalition participants and their families may be exposed to tens of thousands of dollars in unexpected billing from their local hospital come March 1 due to the facilities being no longer in network," she said in a statement.

Coalition member pickets marched in front of Sunrise on Thursday, demanding a halt to what they say are stall tactics and an unfair rate hike by HCA.

Some pickets said they heard they would face a 6 percent to 7 percent overall rate hike, but neither the coalition nor HCA has confirmed that figure. HCA said it sounds inaccurate.

"We asked that they review the offer and to send their counter. They refused," Dyer said in an email Tuesday. "Our team declined the meeting until we could review their counter and we still have not received anything. We offered to set up a call and they declined again."

The two groups have had to negotiate their way to a compromise in years past. Five years ago, the Health Services Coalition announced a new two-year contract with the Sunrise Health System after in-depth negotiations.

Another meeting had not been scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon, Dyer said.

— Contact Pashtana Usufzy at pusufzy@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4563. Find her on Twitter: @pashtana_u