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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Mass General Brigham Health Plan is dropping Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from its Medicare Advantage network starting October 1, citing the "challenging environment" facing MA plans nationwide. The move deepens an already unraveling decades-long partnership between the two Boston healthcare giants. It also reflects a broader national trend of increasingly contentious contract disputes between hospitals and insurers.
Mass General Brigham (MGB) Health Plan is cutting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from its Medicare Advantage (MA) network effective October 1, blaming the "challenging environment affecting Medicare Advantage plans nationwide." Importantly, the change only affects MA coverage — Dana-Farber will remain in MGB's commercial provider network, so patients with commercial insurance won't be impacted.
The split isn't entirely surprising. Dana-Farber announced back in 2023 that it would end its long-standing partnership with MGB in 2028 to build a new cancer hospital with rival Beth Israel Lahey Health. In response, MGB committed $400 million to renovate its own cancer care facilities ahead of the breakup.
This latest development also mirrors a national pattern: contract negotiations between hospitals and insurers are growing more heated, with providers pushing for higher reimbursements to offset rising costs while insurers resist absorbing those increases.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Cancer patients on Medicare Advantage plans may need to find new in-network providers for their care — a disruptive and potentially difficult transition for those mid-treatment. This case highlights the real human cost of escalating insurer-hospital contract disputes.
