A major Texas health care network and a major Texas insurance company continue battling over a new contract. Failure to strike a deal by month’s end could mean fewer in-network options for thousands of Central Texans, Insurance News Net reports.
The combatants are Ascension Texas, parent of Ascension Providence in Waco, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. At risk are patients who have coverage through Blue Cross and want or need treatment at an Ascension-branded hospital or surgery center in the state.
Ascension Texas said in a statement it continues to negotiate contract terms “that will ensure BCBSTX policyholders maintain in-network access to Ascension Texas hospitals, physicians and hospital-based clinics including Dell Children’s Medical Center, and select joint venture facilities, including Ambulatory Surgery Centers.”
The statement says that “without a commitment to reasonable terms” Ascension’s agreement with Blue Cross will end Jan. 31 for Commercial and Medicare Advantage members.
Ascension Texas is urging patients to contact Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas for details about how their coverage might be affected, instructing them to use the number on the back of their insurance card “to express concerns.”
Blue Cross and Blue Shield, meanwhile, says it is working to strike a deal that will keep costs in check. Read more.
