The medical industry heavyweights reached the agreement just days before the previous three-month contract extension was set to expire.
DALLAS — After months of negotiations, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Baylor Scott & White have reached an agreement to keep patients in the network.
Posted by BSWHUpdate to website It states, “Baylor Scott & White and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas have reached an agreement to maintain BSW in the network.As related documentation is finalized, BCBS members will continue to receive uninterrupted access from BSW.'' “They will continue to receive in-network care.”
In June, the two sides announced they had reached a temporary agreement to keep patients in the network until October 1, after the original agreement was set to expire on July 1. This coverage allowed both companies to continue working on long-term contracts without causing disruption to patients.
“We share a commitment to our community and are proud to maintain a selection of high-quality in-network providers,” Baylor Scott and White said in a statement.
Negotiations centered on the discrepancy between the post-pandemic reimbursement increases that Baylor Scott and White are seeking and the amount Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas is willing to agree to.
Details of the new contract have not been disclosed.
Baylor Scott & White is the state's largest nonprofit health system with 51 hospitals. Blue Cross Blue Shield announced it is the state's largest insurance company with approximately 25% market share. Texas Department of Insurance.
Despite months of negotiations, BSWH and BCBS have a unique history that began in Dallas.
According to Texas State Historical SocietyBlue Cross Blue Shield was founded in 1929 from Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. A former Dallas superintendent has accepted the role of leading Dallas' hospital division with Baylor University. He created a plan in which teachers contributed 50 cents a month and guaranteed up to 21 days of inpatient treatment at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. The “Baylor Plan” was the original commercial insurance plan.
