Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Texas Health Resources Come To Agreement
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - An agreement has been reached between Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas and Texas Health Resources, which officials say will provide more than 1.3 million Blue Cross/Blue Shield members with access to health care services.
The bitter dispute between the two healthcare giants could have meant thousands of North Texans would have had to look for new doctors.
Under the new agreement, Texas Health Resources – one of the state's largest healthcare providers – will remain with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas, which is one of the state's largest insurers.
The new contract will provide more than 1.3 million Blue Cross members with access to health care services at 24 hospitals and 18 outpatient facilities.
"Our No. 1 priority was improving the value our members receive for health care services by striking an agreement, which focuses on pay for performance," said Darren Rodgers, president of Blue Cross/Blue Shield. "The new agreement focuses both parties on improving the long-term affordability of health care services."
The two companies were in a contract dispute over medical reimbursement rates.
If no agreement was reached, consumers would have had to pay more out of pocket, or lose their doctors altogether.
"Both parties recognize our shared responsibility to make sure North Texans have convenient access to quality care while also improving patient outcomes and reducing costs in the long run," said Douglas Hawthorne, CEO of Texas Health. "We've worked hard over the past several months, and it has resulted in the right agreement for our patients."
CBSDFW.com tried to get the exact terms of the agreement, but neither company has made them available yet.
