Fierce contract disputes between health insurers and hospitals may result in thousands losing their current in-network doctors.

Citing rising labor costs and heightened demand for medical services, some hospital systems have increased their rates, which several health insurance companies are refusing to pay.

Patients are at considerable risk of getting caught up in the deadlock between these entities. Several individuals in New York reportedly received notices from their insurers recently informing them that the medical treatment they are currently receiving from in-network physicians would soon not be covered, according to The Wall Street Journal.

One such patient, Sarah Digby, received a notice last week from CVS Health’s Aetna warning her that the treatment she receives at NewYork-Presbyterian may no longer be considered “in-network” by May.

“Look at how much pain and suffering you are causing, look at how much distress you are causing, look at how little I am sleeping,” Digby said, per WSJ.

While NewYork-Presbyterian has been facing off against Aetna over undisclosed rate increases, a standoff between Mount Sinai Health System and UnitedHealthcare has already resulted in a loss of coverage at several Mount Sinai hospitals.

As a representative from UnitedHealthcare explained to the WSJ, the insurer is waiting for a “realistic proposal” from Mount Sinai after it tried to increase its rates by 43% to 58% over three to four years.

Yet, as Brent Estes, Mount Sinai’s chief managed-care officer, told the WSJ, the system has been getting paid less than its competitors for some time now, and it was “left with no choice but to force the issue.”

In the meantime, patients have been clamoring to book appointments before their insurance coverage disappears to avoid having to cover hospital bills out-of-pocket.

“They’re freaking out, quite honestly,” said Alan Adler, an obstetrician-gynecologist and senior medical director for physician contracting and billing at Mount Sinai, according to the WSJ.

Emergency care at Mount Sinai hospitals for those covered by UnitedHealthcare will continue to be provided in network, according to the local news website Patch. Patients are also afforded some protections under federal and state rules, such as a temporary extension of coverage for ongoing treatment.

Medical care prices have risen considerably over the past two decades, as an analysis from the University of Southern California shows. While the costs for outpatient services have surged by 200%, inpatient services bumped up 195%. Meanwhile, there has been about a twofold increase in the rates for prescription drugs, nursing homes, and adult day services.

Healthcare costs are projected to rise even more as an estimated 69.7 million baby boomers will be eligible for Medicare by 2030, representing a bit of a ticking time bomb. The net annual Medicare costs could hover around $259.8 billion.

Yet federal debt now sits at trillions of dollars, and the country is on what Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve, has called “an unsustainable fiscal path,” as reported in The Dallas Express.

“You know, we’re effectively borrowing from future generations,” he said in a 60 Minutes interview.