Bend, Oregon Update on St. Charles Health System Negotiations
A week after the St. Charles Health System finalized a contract with Aetna and Cigna, talks with various other insurers are still in progress. PacificSource, one of the insurers involved, has informed its Medicare Advantage patients that they may be out of the network come January 1.
An email from a PacificSource Medicare Advantage member, shared with KTVZ News, indicated that St. Charles ended its Medicare contract with PacificSource earlier this year to renegotiate terms for 2026. The email expressed hopes of reaching a resolution that would keep St. Charles within the network.
Under a section labeled “Next Things,” the insurance provider stated its commitment to resolving the issue, assuring efforts would continue in discussions with St. Charles. They added that if an agreement isn’t reached, their top concern would be to assist members during the transition.
KTVZ News reached out to Alandra Johnson, a spokesperson for St. Charles, who provided this update: “We are actively negotiating with PacificSource and several other insurers, but no conclusions have been reached yet. Please check our website for any updates regarding our provider and facility network.”
Johnson couldn’t disclose specifics about the other insurers in discussions, but she made it clear that PacificSource’s notices only concern Medicare Advantage supplemental plans rather than traditional Medicare, which will still be covered. Additionally, talks are ongoing with PacificSource and others about commercial and Medicare Advantage agreements.
“St. Charles has always participated in a traditional Medicare network,” Johnson noted.
She also mentioned that “each contract has its own timeline.” KTVZ News has sought further information from PacificSource regarding their statements.
