As it seeks to shore up its budget, Oregon Health & Science University is working to manage the flow of patients with out-of-network insurance, a change which could shape where many Oregonians get their health care.

A new policy outlines steps OHSU administrators should take when engaging with patients seeking a service from OHSU, in cases where their health insurer has not contracted with OHSU to pay for that service.

OHSU will do its best to get the insurer to authorize the service and agree in advance to a one-time pay rate, an OHSU spokesperson said in a statement. Only when it is not able to, she said, would the guidance be to refer the patient to a separate in-network provider or facility.

The new policy comes nearly six months after OHSU struck a deal to preserve coverage for 7

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