Blue Cross NC and Mission Health Reach New Agreement
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (“Blue Cross NC”) and Mission Health have entered into an agreement for Mission Health provider participation in Blue Cross NC networks effective December 15, 2017. Both parties are pleased to reach agreement on the mutual goal of ensuring that the people of Western North Carolina receive the affordable, quality health care that they need.
For customers and businesses, this means an end to the uncertainty of seeking alternate, in-network providers. For the community, it means two organizations that have been pillars of Western North Carolina’s health care system are again working together toward the common goals of ensuring access to high-quality health care and doing all they can to slow the rise of health care costs. And for our organizations, it means a renewed commitment to the people who matter most: our patients and customers.
There is no denying that these are challenging times in health care
On the provider side, pressures to reduce costs are more intense than ever. At the same time, patients want – and deserve – access to the latest innovations and state-of-the-art treatments.
Meanwhile, health insurers must face the reality that our products are simply too expensive. The vast majority of your premium dollar goes directly to pay for health care. Holding the line on premiums means addressing the underlying costs of health care. It’s easy to look at the situation and conclude that these competing goals simply can’t be reconciled.
But we see another way
When health care providers and health insurers work together to find new, different and innovative ways to provide and pay for care, we believe we can slow the rise of health care costs without sacrificing quality. We are glad to once again have Mission Health as our partner in this important work.
For most customers, care received at Mission Health between Oct. 5 and Dec. 15 will generally be processed at out-of-network benefit levels. We have answered many of the questions customers might have here.
This new agreement is great news for our customers in Western North Carolina. And it’s great news for both of our organizations. We are grateful for your support and patience as we worked to resolution.
*Mission Health’s independent reference lab will not be in-network, except for Medicare Advantage customers.
