Local News Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses ‘scrambling’ after learning of noncompliant insurance plans, union says About 2,000 nurses could incur large tax penalties due to their health insurance plans, the Massachusetts Nurses Association said. The emergency entrance at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Some nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital could face tax penalties after the hospital “belatedly” told nurses that two of the offered insurance plans did not comply with state law, the Massachusetts Nurses Association said in a news release last Thursday.
About 2,000 nurses potentially face penalties for using the non-compliant plans, the release said. The plans were designed by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS). According to the union, they were notified two weeks ago that both plans violate new statewide Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) requirements due to containing out-of-pocket expenses for preventative care.
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“Our phones, email inboxes and social media are flooded with Brigham nurses angry with the hospital about what seems like either deceit or incompetence,” Kelly Morgan, a Brigham labor and delivery nurse and union chair, said. Morgan accused the hospital of creating “utter chaos and confusion.”
The statement explains the hospital and the MNA came to an agreement in August which allowed nurses to choose between MNA-provided or hospital-provided insurance. While both the HPHC and BCBS plans were MNA-provided, the statement said the hospital selected them. HPHC and BCBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brigham and Women’s nurses attempt to avoid healthcare-related penalties
The hospital did not notify nurses of the violations during contract negotiations, the statement said. According to the union, nurses found out their plans were non-compliant through their online portals.
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Nurses are now “seeking help” to rectify the issue and avoid tax penalties, the statement said. Their first request is to have the hospital apply for MCC waivers. The statement said the hospital agreed to file the waivers, but not until November. Nurses are in contact with elected officials to attempt to expedite the process, the union said. The second request is for the hospital to cover all tax penalties if enacted, the statement said.
A spokesperson for the hospital said Massachusetts General Brigham offers multiple “excellent health plans” with options both in and out of their network.
“While we hope that our nurses agree that the best place for care is at MGB, there is a broad network of providers that members can see, and while members pay less to receive some services from MGB providers, they have the choice at any time to use an in-network provider who is not affiliated with MGB,” the spokesperson said.
Morgan said the hospital is not doing enough to earn the trust of nurses after the “fiasco.”
“BWH management is not holding itself accountable and instead seems fine to upend the lives of nurses who are the backbone of this hospital,” Morgan said.
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Brigham nurses ‘scrambling’ over noncompliant insurance
