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Background:

Florida Blue and Baptist Health are in contract negotiations, which will determine if this hospital/physician/clinical group and its many service locations across Northeast Florida remain in Florida Blue’s network of participating providers. The Florida Blue team is working hard on this matter and negotiating in good faith to reach a resolution as part of our deep commitment to the people of our community. 

While Baptist Health has been a longstanding provider partner, the group is proposing excessive rates that could potentially increase the costs our members pay for care. If an agreement is not reached, Baptist Health would become an out-of-network provider beginning October 1, 2024.

 

Additional Information Regarding Negotiations with Baptist Health:

Baptist Health operates more than 40 locations across Northeast Florida including hospitals, emergency rooms, imaging centers, labs, primary and specialty care, and other facilities.

Florida Blue has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Baptist Health, and we have been negotiating as part of our normal contract renewal process.

Each year, we successfully complete negotiations with providers and facilities throughout Florida with no interruptions to care. So far in 2024, we have already reached long-term agreements with many other providers – agreements that are in the best interest of both sides, keep them in our network, and maintain affordable health care costs for our members.   

Under the terms of the current contract, Baptist Health has been receiving consistent and fair annual payment increases for many years, and the new contract terms we are proposing for Baptist are fair and market competitive.

In contrast, Baptist Health is demanding rate increases well above the rate of inflation and contract terms that could result in significant increases in care costs for our members and the communities we both serve – increases that are well in excess of $100 million on its annual reimbursement.

It would be irresponsible for us to agree to contract terms like those Baptist is proposing, as it would result in passing along these large increases to our members, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet.

Negotiating contracts is standard industry practice and our goal is to achieve fair terms that are agreeable and sustainable for both sides.  We remain hopeful we can agree on terms with Baptist Health that support our commitment to provide customers with affordable, quality health care, as we have in the past.

If we are unable to reach an agreement with Baptist Health, its hospitals, service locations, physicians and other clinicians and locations will no longer be in the Florida Blue provider networks beginning October 1, 2024.

To help educate individual and group members about the contract negotiations process and provide greater transparency, we have developed informational tools that highlight how we regularly work with doctors, pharmacies and other health care facilities and providers, advocating in the best interest of the communities we serve. To learn more, please visit FloridaBlue.com/Networks.

Here are answers to some questions you may have about the current contract negotiations between Florida Blue and Baptist Health

Yes, and we value our relationship with Baptist Health. We hope to reach a fair and sustainable agreement before September 30, 2024, that is beneficial to our members and the communities we both serve.

  • The rate increases that Baptist Health is requesting would drive up the cost of health care and insurance for our customers and the communities we both serve across Florida. In contrast, we are confident the contract terms we are proposing are fair and competitive and remain hopeful that Baptist Health decides to remain in our network.
  • Unlike publicly traded insurance companies, Florida Blue is part of a not-for-profit mutual holding company, which means we place the interests of our members first and are dedicated to helping people and communities achieve better health.  
  • Florida Blue has proudly served the diverse needs of all 67 counties in Florida for the last 80 years. To ensure affordable, accessible, quality health care for members like you, we are obligated to negotiate with providers, on your behalf, to manage rising health care costs and keep the system equitable and sustainable.

Baptist Health hospitals, physicians, and many other clinical locations will be out of network for all services if an agreement is not reached by September 30, 2024. As required by Federal and State law, emergency services and care are covered even at out-of-network facilities.

You can easily find other in-network hospitals, physician, and clinical sites in your area by logging into your member account at FloridaBlue.com. From the top navigation, click Find & Get Care then My Care Team. Your currently assigned primary care doctor will be displayed. To update, click Update My PCP. You can also find an update a provider from the Florida Blue mobile app.

If you need help finding a physician or service location to suit your needs, please call the number located on the back of your member ID card or visit the Florida Blue Center nearest to you for face-to-face support. More than half of Floridians live within 10 miles of a Florida Blue Center.

Yes. The in-network status of all Baptist Health hospitals, physicians, clinicians, and service locations will be affected if an agreement is not reached. If you are unsure whether a particular provider could be affected, please contact us by calling the number located on the back of your member ID card.

If you choose an out-of-network provider for services, you will normally have to pay higher out-of-pocket costs, which could include billed charges. You can look up details specific to your plan by logging in to your member account on FloridaBlue.com.

Some members affected by these possible network changes who are in active treatment or pregnant can continue to receive services with the same benefits and cost sharing even if Baptist Health chooses to exit our network. This is called continuity of care. For more details about continuity of care, please call the member services phone number located on the back of your Florida Blue member ID card.

To find other physicians in your area, please check the Florida Blue online provider directory or call the number located on the back of your Florida Blue member ID card.

We are ready to help. Just call us at the number located on the back of your Florida Blue member ID card and we will work with you to identify a new care team.

To help educate individual and group members about the contract negotiations process, we have developed informational tools that highlight how we regularly work with doctors, pharmacies and other health care facilities and providers, advocating in the best interest of the communities we serve. To learn more, please visit FloridaBlue.com/Networks.