Mission Hospital Nurses Rally to Demand Restoration of MAHEC Coverage

Mission Hospital Nurses Rally for Restoration of MAHEC Coverage

Registered nurses at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, are set to hold a rally on Thursday, May 8, calling for the reinstatement of Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) to the list of approved health providers by HCA. This event was organized by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).

The recent decision by Mission management to exclude MAHEC physicians from their network was made without prior notification to the hospital's staff, including nurses. This exclusion occurs amidst a physician shortage in western North Carolina, where wait times to see a doctor are already extensive. Consequently, Mission staff are left without prompt access to healthcare, often learning about the change only after being denied coverage. State legislation mandates a 45-day written notice for such changes in group coverage.

“I am outraged that Mission management did not notify us that care through MAHEC is no longer being covered,” expressed Hannah Drummond, RN, the chief nurse representative. “I have been going to MAHEC providers for years. I was stunned to be denied coverage for an annual physical and immunization. This is unconscionable.”

Details of the Rally:

Who: Registered nurses at Mission Hospital

What: Rally to demand HCA restore MAHEC coverage to Mission employees

When: Thursday, May 8, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Where: Mission Hospital, 509 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, N.C., on the corner of Hospital Dr. and Biltmore Ave.

MAHEC has been a crucial provider, offering specialized services as the exclusive trauma provider and offering general surgery, OB/GYN, and psychiatric care for many HCA employees at Mission Hospital. The exclusion of MAHEC from the network results in significantly higher costs for care previously covered, with potential expenses running into hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Nurses are urging HCA to immediately reinstate MAHEC coverage, ensure transparency in health plan changes, and maintain access to all necessary care within Mission Hospital. Complaints are being filed with the North Carolina Department of Insurance regarding HCA's legal compliance.

The situation has forced nurses to seek alternative healthcare providers or forego care. This includes a nurse seeking new prenatal care seven months into her pregnancy, an RN whose child is without mental health services, and others who recently established care at MAHEC following prolonged searches for primary care physicians.

“It is unbelievable that the nurses who provide care for our community can no longer get care from MAHEC physicians,” remarked April Dozier, an RN in the mother-baby unit at Mission. “The MAHEC doctors who work at Mission are now out of network for us. HCA must restore MAHEC coverage now.”

The NNOC represents over 1,500 nurses at Mission Hospital.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, boasting over 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.

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