Florida Blue is up against the clock on reaching agreements not only with Baptist Health in Jacksonville but also with Naples Comprehensive Health in Southwest Florida as negotiations head toward a Sept. 30 deadline for keeping each of the health care systems in the Florida Blue network.
The outcome of the contentious talks will affect tens of thousands of residents, illustrating the wide impact Jacksonville-based Florida Blue has on health care as the state’s biggest health insurance provider.
Florida Blue and Baptist Health, which have been in talks for months , have stepped up the pace of their negotiating sessions.
“Though we remain far apart in our respective proposals, we have made progress,” Baptist Hospital said in a statement Thursday. “Our teams continue to negotiate and have committed to daily meetings through the end of the month when our current contract expires.
In Naples, NCH is telling patients on its website that “it is likely that Florida Blue will force NCH out of network.”