Ahead of an end-of-month deadline, Ascension and Blue Cross Blue Shield say they've struck a deal that would allow thousands of Central Texans to keep their health care plans intact.
The two parties announced earlier this month they'd reached a stalemate in negotiations, putting at risk the health care coverage of at least 66,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield customers. Those customers would have had to pay out-of-pocket for some care at Austin's major hospitals, including Ascension Seton Medical Center and Dell Children's Medical Center, if not for an agreement.
Ascension announced the deal in a statement last Friday to KUT, saying patients' plans would be unchanged.
"The new agreement ... ensures that the community can continue to access quality care with Ascension’s well-known and trusted providers," the statement reads. "Patients can continue scheduling appointments with their providers as normal."
Blue Cross announced the deal Monday afternoon. President Jim Springfield said in a statement the deal "reflects our mutual commitment to quality, affordable health care" and that the insurer was "protect[ing] ... access to care at fair rates" for BCBS customers.
Blue Cross Blue Shield is the largest insurer in Texas, providing employer-based health insurance plans to UT Austin, City of Austin, Amazon and H-E-B employees.
The agreement caps weeks of confusion for patients, who feared they may lose access to life-saving treatment.
Last week, Central Health, AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County’s hospital district, sued Ascension Seton, alleging it violated an agreement to run UT’s Dell Seton Medical Center by failing to provide health care for low-income Austinites. Central Health proposed taking over the hospital. Ascension filed a countersuit, arguing the hospital district misrepresented its service.
