Appalachian Regional Healthcare and Coventry Health Care officials will begin negotiating again Friday. Negotiations resumed Thursday afternoon after coming to a halt earlier in the day. After Coventry said it would end its contract with ARH, which operates eight hospitals and other health clinics in eastern Kentucky, ARH filed a lawsuit. Earlier this month, Coventry agreed to continue its existing contract until June 30th while it negotiated with ARH for long-term coverage. Coventry filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Lexington that said when its contract with ARH expires June 30th, Coventry would pay ARH for treatments as a "non-contracted provider" and that coverage to its 25,000 Medicaid patient members in eastern Kentucky would not be interrupted. Steve Price, an attorney for ARH, said the motion means that ARH would be paid far lower payments than it currently is.
