ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After a public back-and-forth, BayCare hospitals, doctors and other healthcare services will remain in Florida Blue's network.
The two healthcare giants reached a deal on Sept. 28 — just two days before the deadline — effectively securing continued coverage for more than 200,000 Florida Blue-insured BayCare patients.
What was the feud about?
In August, BayCare Health System sent a letter to around 215,000 patients insured through Florida Blue announcing that its agreement with the insurance company would expire on Sept. 30, 2022, if the insurance company didn't agree to a new contract.
Florida Blue responded by saying that BayCare was asking for "an extremely large increase" in payment, which was preventing a deal from being reached.
How was it settled?
Both BayCare and Florida Blue announced that they had reached a new multi-year contract and were excited to continue serving patients' needs. Neither provided details of the agreement.
“Throughout our work with BayCare Health System, we have remained focused on the best interests and well-being of our members and the Tampa Bay community. We are pleased to announce our teams reached a reasonable agreement to keep the high-quality services offered by BayCare in our Florida Blue networks and accessible to all our members," Florida Blue Market President David Pizzo said in a statement.
"We apologize for any concern or inconvenience our negotiations may have caused you. Our goal in working with Florida Blue has always been to ensure we can continue to meet the needs of our patients and our community – today and in the future," BayCare's Chief Medical Officer of Acute Care Dr. Paul Sierzenski wrote in a statement. "This new contract is a win for our patients, who deserve access to high-quality, high-value health care services close to home."
Anyone who received a letter from Florida Blue saying they were matched with a new primary care physician will not need to change doctors now that a deal has been reached.
