Blue Cross may no longer be accepted

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana announced Wednesday that the organization did not renew its contract with Our Lady Health System. According to Franciscan Missionary and Our Lady of Lourdes the two are still in negotiations.
The unsettled dispute between the two seems to have stemmed from a rate increase Franciscan Missionaries says it requested from Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
On December 9 Franciscan Ministries of Our Lady Health System released this statement, The CEO’s of Franciscan Ministries of Our Lady Health System and Blue Cross met just this morning. We were awaiting response from Blue Cross to our offer of mediation to prevent this type of public disagreement. No one wins in these situations, especially our patients and community. We are extremely disappointed that Blue Cross has chosen to misrepresent the situation and facts. Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System remains in negations with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Blue Cross has offered zero percent increase to us and our doctors saying there is no justification for any increase. We asked Blue Cross for a single digit increase to reimbursement rates -a modest adjustment. Our proposal assured that benefits from our pricing went to patients and business rather than the insurance company. Blue cross has already raised premiums to its members which include this pricing without any rate increase to FMOL Health System providers.
Blue Cross further justifies their zero increase by saying our mission is a “luxury” and not worth consideration in paying for fairly. According to blue Cross, our service to those most in need-care for children, trauma services, persons with mental health challenges, persons with AIDS, Screenings for early detection of cancer or heart disease, numerous community agencies and more are not their priorities. Our mission is to essential for the communities we are privileged to serve.
Fair payments from Blue Cross ensure that we can sustain the vital level of care necessary to our patients and community. We remain hopeful that we will reach a new agreement before January 31 and are committed to working toward that outcome. In the meantime, Blue Cross patients can continue to receive care at our hospitals and physicians the same way they always have.