BlueCross exchanged proposals with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in early May, and our teams met the week of May 15. We are optimistic we’ll have an agreement soon.
Since Methodist left BlueCross commercial networks in January, our customer service teams have been working one on one with members to help them get the care they need. We’re diligently evaluating unique situations that involve requests to continue covering specialized care at Methodist Le Bonheur facilities.
Our members continue to have in-network access to a wide range of quality care services from other Memphis-area providers. We have partnerships with Baptist Memorial Health Care, St. Francis Hospital and Regional One Health. Those providers offer most of the same services available at Methodist, especially for adults.
Our top priority throughout the negotiations has been to make sure our members have access to the care they need at a price they can afford. But as we’ve shared, Methodist’s own data show they charge BlueCross members much more than people with other health plans.
Every offer we’ve received from Methodist has been designed to protect their revenue, even though Memphis families need relief. As we see heath care costs continuing to skyrocket, we have a responsibility to fight for our members.
We understand the concerns of the families and individuals impacted by these negotiations. What’s important to remember is that the care they get from Methodist will only get more expensive without BlueCross’ taking this stand.
We recognize the challenges this situation has caused for Memphis members, which is why we’re making every effort to reach a deal that brings Methodist back into our networks at fair prices. And we hope Methodist will work with us toward this goal.
Get all the facts about our negotiations with Methodist here.