Medical professionals and Fresno city officials are sounding the alarm after thousands of central San Joaquin Valley residents lost in-network access to their medical care at hospitals in the region’s largest healthcare system.
On Saturday Jan. 31, the contract between Blue Shield of California and Community Medical Centers lapsed after the two failed to reach an agreement. Thousands of Blue Shield of California policyholders lost in-network access to their doctors and medical care at Community Regional Medical Center, the Valley’s only Level I trauma center, as well as Clovis Community Medical Center, Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital and Community Behavioral Health Center.
This sudden change impacts thousands of city of Fresno employees as well as Valley Children Hospital’s medical staff and their families, who are insured by Blue Shield and get their own care through at these Community Health System-owned facilities…