CHRISTUS Health continues negotiations with BlueCross BlueShield

TYLER – UPDATE: Today is the set deadline for an agreement to be reached between CHRISTUS Health and BlueCross BlueShield.

According to a released statement from CHRISTUS Health, despite months of negotiations, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas(BCBSTX) has so far been unwilling to seriously consider CHRISTUS Health’s requests for equitable reimbursement rates to cover the rising costs of providing quality health care.

The statement says that BlueCross BlueShield’s similar aggressive negotiation tactics recently used with other health systems also raise concerns about their commitment to reach a fair contract.

CHRISTUS said in the statement, “We continue to make good-faith efforts to negotiate fair insurance rates to ensure all who might need us have access to the largest, highest-quality health care system in the communities we serve.”

CHRISTUS Health also said that they remain dedicated to reaching an agreement that is in the best interest of their employers, physicians, care centers and most importantly, their patients – and hope that the same is true for BCBSTX.

More information about the agreement, or lack thereof, will be released as details become available.

Original Story: Our news partner KETK reports that while for decades BlueCross and BlueShield of Texas (BCBSTX) has been an accepted insurance provider for CHRISTUS Health, but that could all change if they cannot reach an agreement by July 1.

They have been negotiating with BCBSTX for months to secure a “reasonable insurance reimbursement rate for their health services” but the responses have been unfavorable so far. However, CHRISTUS Health said they will continue to communicate with them in hopes of finalizing an agreement before the pending termination.

“CHRISTUS Health is working hard to keep health care costs affordable for all while continuing to provide high-quality and compassionate services to our patients and their families,” the healthcare system said. “We encourage patients to call the BCBSTX customer service number located on their insurance card to let them know how important it is for CHRISTUS Health hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and physician clinics to remain in network so that they have access to the entire provider network and benefits as a BCBSTX member.”

Even if CHRISTUS Health goes out of network with BCBSTX on July 1, they said their emergency departments will always be available to ensure that patients get the “affordable, quality care they need and deserve.”

“In a recent communication issued by BCBSTX, the company indicated that CHRISTUS Health may not submit patient insurance claims to BCBSTX after June 30,” CHRISTUS Health said. “Should this happen, please know that while we won’t be able to file in-network claims to BCBSTX on your behalf, we will file out-of-network insurance claims if your plan has this option.”

According to CHRISTUS Health, if they go out of network BCBSTX might say that there are other providers willing to accept BCBSTX members, but the reality is that access to many of these providers will be limited due to capacity issues these providers are already experiencing.

“In other words, these providers will not be able to handle the additional volume of patients,” CHRISTUS Health said. “In turn, you and your dependents will have long wait times or may have to seek care outside of your immediate geographic region.”

Texans can find more information about this pending termination with BCBSTX on their FAQ section.