TEXAS (WBAP/KLIF News) – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, the state’s largest insurance provider, and Texas Health Resources, the region’s largest healthcare provider, announced that their two organizations have settled their contract dispute.
One of the main sources of contention was over reimbursement rates.Texas Health Resources had requested a five-percent increase in reimbursements from Blue Cross Blue Shield in order to extend its contract.
The Richardson-based Blue Cross Blue Shield called the figure unacceptable. Texas Health Resources also wanted the new contract to include Southwestern Health Resources, the organization’s new integrated network with UT Southwestern Medical Center.
The parities announced late Thursday that they had agreed to a lower percentage this week. Although details about the percentage and the length of the contract have not been released.
The two parties issued a joint statement.
“Through determined efforts on both sides of the table, the agreement will keep Texas Health Resources in the HMO Blue Texas (Blue Essentials), Blue Choice PPO (BCA), Blue Advantage HMO (BAV) and Blue Cross Medicare Advantage PPO networks with no disruption in service,” it said.
If the two had not signed a new deal by December 31st, almost 150,000 North Texans were at risk of being left out of the network on January 1, 2017.
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