The clock is ticking for Naples Community Hospital (NCH) and Florida Blue to strike a deal before the September 30 deadline, and it could have big consequences for over 40,000 patients in the area.
On Tuesday, NCH held an open house to update locals on their ongoing dispute with Florida Blue. NCH says the insurance company isn’t paying them enough for the healthcare services they provide and hasn’t kept up with rising costs. Florida Blue sees it differently, claiming they’ve offered reasonable rate increases and that NCH is asking for too much.
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NCH and Florida Blue near deadline for deal; 40,000 patients could be affected
“So really what NCH is looking for is a fair payment rate,” said John Kling, NCH’s chief operations officer. “We know from publicly reported data that’s published by Florida Blue that NCH gets paid 30-40% less than other healthcare systems in our markets.”
If a deal isn’t reached by September 30, Florida Blue insurance holders using NCH will be considered out-of-network, meaning they’ll have to pay more each visit. But Kling reassured the community that emergency care will still be covered.