The Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation has filed a lawsuit in Milwaukee County to stop Aurora Health Care from interfering with WPS's contractual relationship with HealthEOS by MultiPlan, an independent primary PPO network, and to compel HealthEOS to abide by the terms of its contract with WPS.

This action was taken only after numerous attempts by Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) to meet face to face with Aurora and HealthEOS to resolve these issues for the best interest of the Aurora patients who participate in WPS plans.

At Aurora’s request, HealthEOS has excluded WPS insured and administered plans from accessing Aurora providers on an in-network basis. Due to this breach of contract, thousands of WPS customers are left unable to receive treatment from their preferred Aurora medical providers without having to pay significantly higher out-of-network costs. In addition, shortly before Christmas some WPS patients were told by Aurora that they would no longer be able to be treated by their providers at all, and only after being contacted by WPS legal counsel did Aurora modify this position.

Bill Bathke, WPS’s executive vice president and COO, said: We believe both Aurora and HealthEOS are violating their contracts with us. It is unconscionable that their actions are causing needless anxiety among thousands of Wisconsin citizens. WPS intends to vigorously fight for our customers’ right to access the health care providers of their choice.