Sloan Kettering cancer patients sick over threat of losing medical coverage under insurer Cigna: ‘My heart just stopped’

Scores of cancer patients are scared to death after being informed that they could lose their medical coverage due to a financial dispute between a prestigious Manhattan specialty hospital and a health insurance giant, The Post has learned.

Patients — including those seriously ill with Stage 4 cancer — received letters from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center last month claiming their insurer, Cigna, would soon drop their in-network coverage.

Sloan Kettering has urged patients to call Cigna to put pressure on the insurer to maintain their coverage as the two sides negotiate the terms of payments over services for cancer care.

“We are writing to let you know that Cigna Healthcare does not plan to renew their contract with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) as an in-network insurance provider in 2024. This will impact your ability to receive care at MSK in the future,” MSK’s chief executive Lisa De Angelis said in a Dec. 1 letter sent to patients enrolled with Cigna.

“We have been doing everything we can to reach a fair agreement with Cigna. MSK has faced major cost increases in recent years and Cigna is not willing to help cover these costs. As a result, we have not been able to reach an agreement that allows us to provide the very best cancer care at low cost to our patients.”

The letter continues, “We encourage you to call Cigna at the number on the back of your insurance card to tell them you want to keep access to MSK.”