Do any of you know the status of contract negotiations between Common Spirit St. Joseph Hospitals and Blue Cross Insurance ?
Are they still actively in negotiations?

I know they have allowed their contracts to lapse with BCBS HMO policies.

My wife has an ongoing degrading condition that now requires day surgery. During scheduling for surgery today we found out the Surgeon still accepts BCBS HMO plan but the Common Spirit including the St. Joseph Hospitals College Station and Bryan no longer have a contract with BCBS.

We like the surgeon and trying to avoid starting over at Baylor Scott and White with new doctors and waiting periods.

-Trying to determine if Common Spirit will be back in BCBS network in 2026 .
-Or wait on surgery until 2027 and change Insurance provider that covers St. Josephs.
- Third option is to apply for BCBS Continuity of Care which means we pay the additional difference between the hospitals rate and the BCBS previously negotiated rate.

Apparently the contract just expired. BCBS is still getting their monthly premium from customers so Common Spirit and the Customers are getting squeezed so no incentive for BCBS to negotiate.
I've had more battles with BCBS insurance coverage in past 2 years than in my entire life.

EBrazosAg said:

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My understanding was that is was only ACA plans and I have not heard any updates. But I don't work for them so I could be uninformed. We have not in our office seen any issues with getting our patients cared for at St Joseph - we had a very small portion of our patients on the ACA BCBS plans, so it may just be random that we haven't seen one yet. If it's all HMO plans that is news to me. And will be a bigger issue.

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TAMU is very good at telling its employees about changes in the health coverage. Nothing today, so we should wait and see of the TAMU plan is affected.

Thank you all for the insights.

I filed a Continuity of Service since condition was being treated by the Surgeon prior to the contract expiration. I'm not expecting a quick review from BCBS.

Sucks that BCBS doesn't align contract expiration dates with policy enrollment ( Jan 1).
That would only happen if BCBS executives were ethical.

BCBS didn't do it. St Joe was negotiating for better rates and terminated their contract. They have to give 90 days notice I think.

I've been trying to reschedule an imaging appointment for two days and can't get them to answer or call me back.

Doesn't have anything to do with my insurance, just that they aren't communicating.