Florida Blue patients worried about future coverage in the midst of Baptist Health negotiations

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Blue insurance customers told Action News Jax they’re caught in the middle of ongoing negotiations between Florida Blue and Baptist Health.

The two companies have been negotiating a new contract for months.

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A viewer who wanted to remain anonymous told Action News Jax that their Baptist provider called them on Thursday and said Florida Blue patients with appointments beyond September 30 either need to cancel or pay for half of their appointment by Thursday.

Action News Jax reached out to Baptist Health who told us around 4 p.m. Thursday, “That is not correct. We will send you a statement shortly with the correct messaging.” Baptist Health later said it is not requiring down payments or deposits on procedures as a result of the Florida Blue contract negotiation.

The contract expires at the end of September and on both company websites, they say they’re still negotiating in good faith, but claim that the opposing side is not.

Action News Jax spoke with Jason Mudd from Axia Public Relations about what type of message this sends.

RELATED: ‘People’s lives are at stake:’ Contract negotiations continue between Baptist Health and Florida Blue

“This is creating what I think potentially could be unnecessary concern for patients and customers of Florida Blue, simply because there’s still more time for parties to come together and come to an agreement,” he said.

If Baptist Health and Florida Blue can’t reach an agreement, patients would suddenly be out of network, and the switch could make their cost of care unaffordable.

“I do believe they want what’s best for community and customers, but at the end of the day, it’s still business and business has to be done and these organizations need to stay in business to provide the services they do,” Mudd said.

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Baptist Health sent Action News Jax the following statement on Friday morning:

Florida Blue Negotiations

Regarding the caller’s inquiry -

“We do not want anyone’s health care to be disrupted. As we continue working to reach an agreement with Florida Blue, we are encouraging patients with Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance to be seen before our contract end date, when possible. Our goal is to ensure our patients have options for continuing their care with us while helping to protect them from unexpected medical expenses their insurance may not cover.

“Without a new contract in place at this time, we must assume that appointments occurring after September 30 will be non-covered. Therefore, we are providing patients who wish to make or keep appointments in or after October with an estimate with a self-pay discount. Alternatively, if a patient potentially qualifies for Continuity of Care coverage, we encourage them to contact their insurance company to pursue that option.

“As with any scheduled service, we work with patients to make payment arrangements 2 or 5 days in advance, depending on the service. We are sensitive to the needs of different patients and offer a range of flexible payment options.

“It is important to know that Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s will continue to provide emergency, CareSpot Urgent Care, virtual care and more to all BCBS members regardless of network status; unaffected services are listed on our website at baptistjax.com/florida-blue.

About the negotiations -

“The outcome we strive for is a fair, long-term agreement that provides us with certainty, provides Florida Blue with network stability and ensures our patients have continued access to the quality care they rely on. We have only asked Florida Blue to pay market-based rates, consistent with what they pay other similar health systems in the state. Our 14,000 caregivers devote their lives to serving our community, and we would not be doing this if it weren’t necessary to protect our health system’s long-term sustainability.”

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Action News Jax also received the following statement from Florida Blue on Friday afternoon:

“Florida Blue continues to seek a fair and reasonable agreement with Baptist Health that preserves access to affordable health care without raising costs for our members. Baptist’s latest demands total more than $900 million in new costs over the next 5 years at a time when many in our community are already struggling to make ends meet. Should Baptist choose to exit our network, we remain committed to ensuring that everyone who calls Jacksonville home can access affordable care through our strong partnerships with exceptional providers across Northeast Florida, including the Florida Blue | Sanitas Medical Centers.”

Action News Jax received an additional statement from Baptist Health on Friday afternoon:

“We continue to negotiate in good faith. We met with Florida Blue yesterday and at our request, Florida Blue has agreed to add a third meeting in September to the two that were already scheduled.”

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