Later that day, a spokesperson from UnitedHealthcare released the following statement. “The cost of care at Saint Francis Medical Center is nearly two and a half times more expensive than the average cost of the hospitals in our network in the St. Louis metropolitan area, where more competition among hospitals has driven costs down. Unfortunately Saint Francis has refused to address its high costs and is also demanding that we prohibit local employers from helping to lower health care costs for their employees by encouraging them to use quality, more affordable hospitals. Saint Francis is driving up the cost of health care for the people of Cape Girardeau and the companies that do business here, which is why we are working to establish a new agreement with more competitive rates. We are asking Saint Francis to join us in our commitment to providing the people of Cape Girardeau with access to health care that is not only high quality but also affordable.”