Editorial: A phone call in time …

Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006 | 7:21 a.m.

After a year of contract-renewal negotiations, and with time running out, a group of Southern Nevada hospitals and Nevada's largest health insurer remain at loggerheads with each other over the issue of money.

An estimated 600,000 people whose health insurance is provided by Sierra Health Services could be affected by the impasse, as their doctors have privileges at hospitals within the Sunrise Health group.

If the dispute is not resolved by Jan. 1, Sunrise Health patients who carry Sierra Health Services insurance, including Health Plan of Nevada and Senior Dimensions, will have to receive their medical care at other hospitals and many will have to change doctors.

At issue is the demand by Sunrise Health that in any new contract with Sierra Health Services, the insurer pay four times more than it has been for nonemergency medical procedures.

Sierra Health says the demand is outrageous and is refusing to meet it. Sunrise Health says it needs the big increase to cover rising costs of health care.

Sierra Health Services says if it granted an increase of the size being demanded, the resulting leap in insurance premiums would create hardship for its customers.

Sunrise Health manages four hospitals owned by Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corp. of America - Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center; Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center; MountainView Hospital; and Sunrise Children's Hospital.

The hospital group and the insurance carrier have had a contract since 1989, under which Sierra sends a certain amount of patients to Sunrise Health hospitals in exchange for discounted medical bills. This contract expires Dec. 31.

Because each side appears resolute, and because hundreds of thousands of patients will be thrown into a state of flux if there is no agreement, causing a great deal of anxiety about the care they will receive, we believe Gov. Kenny Guinn should get involved. His policy in such disputes is to not involve himself until asked by one or both of the parties. But with a looming deadline, this is a time to call the companies' executives and offer to help reach a deal.

And Guinn is on a deadline himself - a new governor will be sworn in on Jan. 1. We believe this is a time for the influence of the governor's office to be brought to bear - and that the problem should not be left for the next governor.