A Growing Gap: Why we need a new contract with Florida Blue

A Growing Gap: Why we need a new contract with Florida Blue Main Content

Find more information about the Florida Blue negotiation here.
 

Have a look at the chart. For comparison purposes, the green and blue lines at the top of the chart come from publicly available data showing that health insurance companies nationally have been steadily increasing costs charged to their customers. We added our own data to tell the rest of the story. The red line at the bottom is the current rate of annual reimbursement increase Florida Blue has been paying Baptist Health for years.

A line graph that shows how costs for health insurance benefits have risen quickly over the last few years, while the amount Baptist Health is paid by insurance companies has not increased at that same rate.

Florida Blue is among the health insurance companies who have been significantly increasing their charges to customers over the past several years, while only slightly increasing their reimbursement to Baptist Health for the quality care we provide.

If you have Blue Cross Blue Shield or Florida Blue as your primary insurance, this gap begs some important questions!

Where has your money been going? Florida Blue is publicly claiming that if they pay us more, they will have no choice but to increase their charges to their customers. That’s a convenient way to blame us for doing what they have been doing year after year – charging their customers more. We can’t allow that gap to continue to grow at our expense. It’s not fair. It’s not sustainable. It’s not good for the community.

Your insurance is supposed to help you access and pay for the care you need.

But what happens when your insurance company starts creating barriers to care by adding red tape and denying claims? According to our internal analysis, over the last year Florida Blue denied claims at more than twice the average denial rate of all our other commercial payors. Ultimately, 80% of the denials that we challenged on behalf of our patients were overturned and paid.

This means considerable time and resources were unnecessarily wasted in re-submitting and fighting for what should have been approved in the first place. Patients are left wondering what they will owe for care they thought was covered. More importantly, denied insurance claims can cause patients to forgo or delay receiving the care they need.

Is this what you pay for?

In our view, charging customers more every year while increasing barriers to care isn’t fair. Reimbursing us at below-market rates isn’t fair.

We are asking Florida Blue to work with us to update contract terms and agree on a four-year glide path to fair reimbursement. Not the highest rate, but a fair, market-based rate that adequately covers the costs of providing care. Why? So that we can continue to deliver the quality care that our community deserves and relies upon.

To our loyal community, thank you for entrusting us with your health care. We will continue to negotiate with unwavering commitment, in good faith, so we can be here to serve you for decades to come.

A Growing Gap: Why we need a new contract with Florida Blue Additional Content Section 1

What You Can Do

  • Call Florida Blue at the number on the back of your insurance card and tell them how important it is to you and your family to maintain in-network access to the Baptist Health facilities and doctors you know and trust.
  • Talk with your employer. If you get insurance through your employer, tell them how important in-network access to Baptist Health and Wolfson Children’s is to you and your family, and encourage them to call or email Florida Blue.
  • Consider your options. If you work through a broker, speak with them or review your options in the exchange. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, contact an insurance counselor at Senior Resource Alliance.
  • How will you know if we reach an agreement? We will communicate important updates to the mailing address, email and/or phone number listed in your patient portal, My Baptist Chart. Sign in or activate your account at my.baptistchart.com.
  • Still have questions for us? Call 904.202.3247 Mon-Fri, 8 am – 5 pm to speak with a Baptist Health representative.
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