Syracuse, N.Y. — Central New York's largest health insurer reached an agreement with St. Joseph's Health late on New Year's Eve, ending the region's last major insurance negotiations in a contentious year.
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and St. Joe's announced an agreement Tuesday around 10:30 p.m. to maintain in-network coverage for more than 35,000 patients.
“Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (Excellus BCBS) and St. Joseph's Health have reached a multi-year agreement, effective January 1, 2025, that will keep St. Joseph's Health in the Excellus BCBS provider network.” Announced on the news. release.
Their announcement comes on the heels of a deal between Saint Joe's parent company, Trinity Health, and insurance giant Aetna. Aetna announced the agreement just before 5 p.m.
Both insurance companies had their policies scheduled to expire at midnight. Without an agreement, each insured patient would have lost in-network benefits at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, its physician network, and affiliated facilities.
This flurry of activity means Excellus or Aetna patients won't see any changes to their in-network coverage at St. Joe's into the new year.
The news also caps a year in which disputes between insurance companies have likely been more in the news than ever before.
First, there was a nearly year-long impasse between Excellus and emergency care provider WellNow that began on January 1, 2024 and ended with a new contract in mid-November.
Over the summer, FamilyCare Medical Group, the region's largest primary care provider, warned its 30,000 patients that there was a serious conflict with Excellus. The two sides resolved their differences on November 21, after making headlines and before patients were affected.
St. Joseph's CEO Dr. Stephen Hanks had warned that the health network was demanding significant rate increases from Excellus during negotiations. Both sides appeared prepared for a long game, extending their old contracts until the end of February if necessary.
St. Joe's faced a similar conflict with Aetna, which also warned its approximately 15,000 members that it would be difficult to reach new contracts.
Both of these disputes were resolved within hours on Tuesday, allowing the majority of central New Yorkers to enter the new year without dramatic changes in in-network coverage among major insurers and providers.
Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at: ddowty@syracuse.com or (315) 470-6070.
