Summa Health to stop accepting out-of-network insurance Sept. 1

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Akron’s Summa Health will stop scheduling appointments for people with out-of-network and non-contracted insurance plans, effective Monday, Sept. 1, the health system announced.

The change is meant to protect Summa from spending resources trying to collect payment from out-of-network health insurers, while also protecting out-of-network patients from high hospital bills, Summa said in an email.

The new policy includes Summa Health Medical Group and walk-in services at Summa Health Urgent Care Centers and laboratory and radiology services. The policy does not apply to emergency services or emergency labor and delivery treatment.

“When patients receive care that is out-of-network or non-contracted with their insurance provider, the health system spends significant resources trying to obtain any payment from the patient’s insurance provider,” Summa said. “Often that effort results in little, to no, payment. The patient is then responsible for any remaining bill, which can be substantial.”

There are limited exceptions to this policy in instances where Summa is the only provider in the region of a particular medical service, the health system said.

Summa has contracts with more than 40 health insurance plans.

The policy change comes as Summa is finalizing its transition to a for-profit hospital, with a $485 million sale to Health Assurance Transformation Corp., a business venture owned by venture capital firm General Catalyst. The sale was first announced in 2024.

Private equity takeovers of hospital systems are a growing trend in the United States, but a national 2023 study shows such hospitals have worsening risks of falls and infections.

In June, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost gave conditional approval to the sale.

Cash and equity generated by the sale will be used to start a new nonprofit health foundation, which will be independent from Summa.

The foundation will receive $15 million in equity from Summa’s sale and at least $30 million in cash proceeds, Summa said earlier.

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