PITTSBURGH — Officials with health insurer Highmark and the Pennsylvania Insurance Department have spelled out a plan for Highmark customers to continue using doctors from the rival University of Pittsburgh Medical Center once Highmark's provider agreement with UPMC ends Jan. 1.

Highmark contends 80 percent of UPMC's doctors can still serve Highmark subscribers at in-network rates after the split, a claim UPMC spokesman Paul Wood disputes.

Highmark said UPMC doctors who provide services at UPMC hospitals outside the five-county greater Pittsburgh region, or who also do some work at non-UPMC hospitals will be considered in-network — meaning they'll be cheaper to use — for Highmark subscribers.

But Wood contends the 80 percent number is “grossly exaggerated.” He says more than 40 percent of UPMC's doctors shouldn't be considered “in-network” providers for Highmark.

IMPERIAL — An airline worker has been seriously injured while operating a vehicle used to tug airliners into position near gates at Pittsburgh International Airport.Airport spokesman JoAnn Jenny hasn't identified the woman or the airline she was working for when the accident occurred just before 9 p.m. Tuesday.Jenny said the woman was seriously injured and taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, though the spokesman didn't know the specific type or extent of injuries the worker suffered.The woman was driving a vehicle known as a “tug” when she was hurt. But Jenny said the vehicle wasn't towing an aircraft at the time, and the wreck didn't disrupt any flights or endanger any passengers.The airport was not immediately providing additional information today.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Parking Authority has settled a lawsuit brought by a woman who uses a wheelchair and claimed newly installed parking kiosks were too tall for her to use.Debra Stemmler sued in May after she received a ticket for not paying for an on-street parking space. She had left a note on her dashboard explaining that the push buttons on the kiosk were too high for her to reach from her wheelchair.Online court documents show the lawsuit was settled Tuesday, though the parking authority and Stemmler's attorney haven't disclosed terms.An official with Cale America of Tampa, Fla., had previously said the company would lower the pay stations in response to the lawsuit.The company installed the multispace pay stations under a $7 million contract with the parking authority.