PA bills want hospitals to take 'any insurer'

Prompted by the Highmark-UPMC battle, two Pittsburgh-area lawmakers want to introduce legislation requiring hospitals such as UPMC's to contract with "any willing insurer." The contract between Highmark and UPMC expires at the end of 2014, meaning if the two don't arrive at a new contract before then, many Highmark customers won't have access to UPMC doctors and hospitals. The bills have yet to be introduced to the House; co-sponsors Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, and Jim Christiana, R-Beaver, will discuss them at a Harrisburg news conference this morning.