TAMPA — BayCare Hospital System and Florida Blue stated Wednesday they’ve reached an settlement that can spare tens of hundreds of Tampa Bay residents from being compelled to seek out new medical doctors.
The settlement means the nonprofit’s hospitals and medical doctors will stay in-network for roughly 85,000 Florida Blue coverage holders who repeatedly use BayCare medical providers.
Negotiations between the supplier and the medical insurance firm had stalled after seven months of talks when every one accused the opposite of prioritizing earnings over affected person wants.
Florida Blue, the state’s BlueCross BlueShield supplier, and BayCare stated Wednesday they agreed to a multi-year contract 4 days earlier than the present settlement was set to run out Oct. 1.
BayCare had stopped scheduling elective surgical procedures earlier this month, and Florida Blue had reached out to its prospects to attempt to set them up with new suppliers.
Talks continued Wednesday at the same time as most enterprise workplaces had been closed forward of the arrival of Hurricane Ian.
”With Hurricane Ian threatening our communities, we’re grateful our members not must be involved about their capability to entry their BayCare well being care suppliers and might concentrate on what’s most necessary,” stated David Pizzo, Florida Blue market president.
BayCare CEO and President Tommy Inzina stated, “We’re more than happy to have this settlement behind us in order that we are able to concentrate on what issues most, our sufferers.”
“All alongside, our aim has been to achieve an settlement with Florida Blue that enables BayCare to proceed to satisfy the wants of our sufferers and our neighborhood immediately and much into the longer term.”
As a result of BayCare and Florida Blue reached an settlement earlier than their present contract ended, there can be no interruption in service for sufferers.
The deadlock between the 2 supplied a uncommon window into contract talks between two of Tampa Bay main healthcare gamers.
BayCare operates 15 hospitals throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties and BayCare Medical Group, one of many area’s largest doctor teams.
It stated that Florida Blue was not passing on proceeds from premium will increase to medical suppliers.
Florida Blue officers stated the hospital chain is in search of double-digit price will increase for hospital providers and virtually triple that for diagnostic ones like X-rays and MRIs that might price an additional $80 million per yr.
With the dispute now resolved, Florida Blue officers stated they may ship out letters to their prospects confirming that they’ll proceed to make use of BayCare providers.
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