The ailing West Penn Allegheny Health System can be resuscitated whether or not Highmark Inc. and UPMC sign a long-term contract with each other, the insurer says in new financial projections filed with the state. If the reimbursement contract between the two companies -- which allows Highmark insurance customers to use UPMC health care facilities -- continues "beyond Dec. 31, 2014, WPAHS still captures adequate volume to produce positive results and generate the cash flow necessary to meet its obligations while continuing to invest in capital improvements," the filing says. The recovery will happen at a slower pace, however, because some patient traffic that would be directed toward WPAHS in the event of a Highmark-UPMC split would instead elect to visit UPMC physicians and hospitals.
