YAVAPAI REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT

THEY ARE LEAVING THE BLUE CROSS, BLUE SHIELD NETWORK

EFFECTIVE TODAY (TUESDAY). THEIR DECISION WILL AFFECT

THOUSANDS OF AREA RESIDENTS WHO HAVE HEALTH COVERAGE

THROUGH BLUE CROSS, BLUE SHIELD.

A STATEMENT RELEASED FROM BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD ON JANUARY

26 TH SAID, IN PART, “WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TO NEGOTIATE A

REASONABLE INCREASE AND TO KEEP THEM (YRMC) IN NETWORK.

DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS, THEY (YRMC) ARE CHOOSING TO LEAVE

ON JANUARY 31 ST .” 

LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 1 REPRESENTATIVE, QUANG NGUYEN, SAID HE

HAS BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH DR. ANTHONY TORRES,

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF YAVAPAI REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER…

THE NEWS 1490 SPOKE WITH ABBY FRIEDEMANN KAY, EXTERNAL

COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST WITH DIGNITY HEALTH’S ARIZONA

SERVICE AREA, WHO RELEASED THIS STATEMENT, WHICH READS, IN

PART:

“FOR MANY MONTHS, DIGNITY HEALTH YAVAPAI REGIONAL MEDICAL

CENTER (YRMC) AND YAVAPAI REGIONAL MEDICAL GROUP (YRMG) HAVE

BEEN IN GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATIONS WITH HEALTH INSURANCE

COMPANY BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA TO ACHIEVE NEW

PROVIDER AGREEMENTS FOR HOSPITAL AND PHYSICIAN SERVICES.

DESPITE OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF

ARIZONA HAS BEEN UNWILLING TO AGREE TO A NEW, RESPONSIBLE

CONTRACT. IF BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA, YRMC, AND YRMG

ARE UNABLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT BY JANUARY 31, YRMG AND

YRMC PROVIDERS WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO SERVE BLUE CROSS,

BLUE SHIELD OF ARIZONA MEMBERS ON AN OUT-OF-NETWORK BASIS

EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, 2023.

YRMG AND YRMC HAVE OFFERED BLUE CROSS, BLUE SHIELD OF

ARIZONA AN AGREEMENT WITH RATE INCREASES BELOW COST

INFLATION FOR HOSPITAL SERVICES AS MEASURED BY THE CONSUMER

PRICE INDEX.

CONTRARY TO COMMUNICATIONS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF

ARIZONA SENT TO EMPLOYERS AND MEMBERS, THROUGHOUT THIS

NEGOTIATION, THE RATE INCREASES PROPOSED BY YRMG AND YRMC

COMBINED HAVE BEEN IN THE SINGLE DIGITS.

IF THE AGREEMENTS TERMINATE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO TREAT ALL

PATIENTS IN NEED OF EMERGENCY CARE THROUGH OUR HOSPITALS’

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AT IN-NETWORK RATES. PATIENTS WHO

ARE IN ACTIVE TREATMENT MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO CONTINUE RECEIVING

CARE ON AN IN-NETWORK BASIS THROUGH THEIR CONTINUITY OF CARE

BENEFITS AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT BLUE CROSS BLUE

SHIELD OF ARIZONA FOR MORE DETAILS.”

THE NEWS 1490 WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY

AND WILL BRING YOU ANY UPDATES RELEASED BY THE 2 PARTIES.