Oklahoma City-based Integris Health and Tulsa-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma reached a stalemate in contract negotiations, The Journal Record reports.
An in-network agreement between the payer and provider concludes Aug. 31. The parties are in a 60-day contract extension period, but all Integris hospitals and ancillary facilities will be out-of-network with BCBSOK by Sept. 1 if a resolution is not inked. As physicians contract with the payer separately, some may not be affected by the impasse, while others could see network status changes by Oct. 15.
In a letter to patients obtained by The Journal Record, Integris said it "began discussions with BCBSOK several months ago, and believed a new agreement would be reached well before the contract end date. Unfortunately we have not yet come to a resolution. The extension period allows more time for discussion … and avoids disruption in patient care."
BCBSOK — the state's largest insurer and only participating payer on Oklahoma's ACA exchange — said its "goal throughout the negotiation process has been and will continue to be to retain Integris in our networks," the report states.