A contract dispute between Michigan Medicine and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan could result in as many as 300,000 patients losing access to their doctors by July.
Blue Cross sent advisories to its commercial health insurance policyholders on Wednesday, March 4, saying that the University of Michigan hospital system, known as Michigan Medicine, has notified them that its southeast Michigan hospitals and physician offices are ready to stop accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield and Blue Care Network health insurances starting July 1.
According to Blue Cross, Michigan Medicine is seeking a 44% increase in reimbursement payment rates over the term of the next five-year contract. Blue Cross contends that such an increase would have a “destabilizing impact” on the affordability of health care and health insurance in the state…