A dispute between Britain’s largest private medical insurance provider and private hospital group has been resolved, after both parties signed a three year agreement aimed at providing long term stability for patients, Health Insurance magazine reported.
BMI Healthcare and Bupa have come to an agreement allowing Bupa member access to private healthcare in most of BMI’s hospitals.
The dispute between the two organisations began late last year and included disagreement over fees being charged by BMI Healthcare for treating Bupa members.
John Von Klemperer, managing director, hospital operations, BMI Healthcare, said the agreement will benefit the health insurance sector as a whole and is “the beginning of a strong relationship” between the two organisations.
The deal doesn’t include every hospital in the BMI’s 70 strong network. BMI Gisburne, Park Hospital, BMI The Lancaster Hospital and BMI The Consulting Suit are excluded from the agreement.
Dr Natalie-Jane Macdonald, managing director of Bupa Health and Wellbeing, said the new arrangement will improve the way in which the two organisations work together in the future.
“We believe that the new arrangements provide a good basis to address the affordability of private healthcare while maintaining current standards of high quality care for Bupa members,” she said.
