Despite more than a year of efforts by CHI St. Vincent to reach a sustainable contract renewal, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas “has been unwilling to agree to a fair contract.” As a result, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas no longer considers CHI St. Vincent as part of its network.
“Since 1888, our mission has been to provide essential, life-saving care to all Arkansans, and we are disappointed that we have not been able to reach an equitable agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas,” said William G. Jones, MD, CHI St. Vincent market president. “We have worked tirelessly to avoid this outcome, and believe that affordability and sustainability can coexist; however, we cannot continue to subsidize inadequate, unfair reimbursement rates at the expense of our clinical operations and the patients we serve. Fair reimbursement is not separate from our mission; it enables our mission.”
CHI St. Vincent remains committed to reaching an agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas.
“We have not walked away from the table. We are doing everything we can to restore in-network access for the thousands of patients who rely on us for their care,” Jones said. “We urge Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas to consider the needs of their members and accept our proposal, which reflects the true cost of care and prioritizes the health of our community.”
For more information, patients should visit commonspirit.org/stvincent-alerts or call (800) 258-5075, Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday,10 a.m.–6.p.m.