Sept. 15, 2009
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Wesley Medical Center Reach Agreement on Five-year Contract
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the state’s largest health insurer with more than 110,000 members in Sedgwick County, has reached an agreement with Wesley Medical Center which will extend their working relationship beyond 70 years.
Blue Cross and Wesley have agreed to a five-year contract which assures the medical center will continue serving BCBSKS members through 2014. Wesley has been a continuous member of the insurer’s contracting network since April 27, 1943.
“We have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Wesley Medical Center for decades and are pleased to continue this mutually beneficial relationship well into the future,” said Andrew C. Corbin, BCBSKS president/CEO. “As a Kansas-based company committed to being the best health insurance company in Kansas, we value long, stable relationships, such as the one we enjoy with Wesley. We applaud their long-term commitment to providing Blue Cross members outstanding service and care.”
Wesley officials also are happy to extend the relationship for several years.
“We have been proud to care for Blue Cross members for nearly 70 years,” said Wesley Medical Center CEO Hugh Tappan. “This partnership recognizes our focus on patient centered care and the quality Wesley has brought to every service it offers including birthcare, pediatric care, emergency care, heart care and women’s care. This relationship will continue to allow Blue Cross members to deliver their babies at the ‘baby hospital’ and take advantage of the area’s newest medical technology.”
For the past 15 years, Wesley has been the exclusive hospital provider for Blue Cross members in and around Wichita. Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, members and their providers will be able to choose from an expanded network which will include Via Christi Regional Medical Center.
“Blue Cross continually strives to provide our members with the best network in Kansas,” Corbin said. “We recognize that our members value choice when it comes to selecting their health care partners, which is why we have been working to expand our Wichita-area network for 2010. The five-year contracts we have with both Wesley and Via Christi offer our members a stable network for several years.”
It is important for Blue Cross members to keep in mind that the network expansion is not effective until Jan. 1, 2010, he said.
“Blue Cross members will continue to receive most covered services at Wesley through the end of the year in order to maximize their benefits and minimize their out-of-pocket costs,” Corbin said, adding that only selected services are currently provided by Via Christi under a limited services agreement. “As of Jan. 1, members will be able to choose either hospital for any covered service with the confidence that they are maximizing their benefits.”
In addition, Plan 65-Select Medicare supplement cardholders should continue to select Wesley for all planned admissions through the end of the year while Plan 65 Medicare supplement members can continue to choose either hospital. Plan 65-Select members will be able to choose either Wesley or Via Christi as of Jan. 1, 2010.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSKS is the state's largest health insurer, serving all Kansas counties except Johnson and Wyandotte.
About Wesley Medical Center
Wesley Medical Center is a regional, acute care medical facility in Wichita, Kansas, licensed for 760 beds and 102 bassinettes. The medical staff of 850 physicians and 3,000 employees provides a full range of diagnostic, treatment and trauma services for patients throughout Kansas and northern Oklahoma. Every year, more than 180,000 patients are treated and more than 6,000 babies are born at Wesley. Wesley was founded in 1912 by a regional organization of the Methodist church.
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