Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota reached a contract agreement to maintain Fairview's hospitals and clinics in the insurer's provider network.
The previous contract between the payer and provider was set to expire Dec. 31, after which nearly 170,000 patients may have lost in-network services and discounted prices at Fairview. The new contract is effective through the end of 2018.
"Our goal throughout these discussions was to find a fair solution that will allow Fairview to continue providing exceptional patient care and service in the future while avoiding any disruption in care," Beth Thomas, DO, Fairview CMO, said in a prepared statement. "The agreement we reached does that.”
"We know that many of our members value having access to Fairview hospitals and physicians at in-network benefits and prices," Garrett Black, senior vice president of health services at Blue Cross, said. "We also know our members value affordability and access. The agreement allows us to provide uninterrupted care and coverage to our members while addressing rising healthcare costs."