Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma and Stillwater (Okla.) Medical Center have reached an agreement that will keep Blue Traditional and Blue Choice PPO beneficiaries in network with the health system through 2026. 

Editor's note: This article and its headline were updated Oct. 4 to reflect the fact that HCA and Cigna Healthcare came to a contract agreement that allows Cigna employer-sponsored and Medicare Advantage plan members to access all HCA facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky. Cigna's exchange plans remain out of network with HCA.

Corvallis, Ore.-based Samaritan Health Services has terminated its commercial and Medicare Advantage contracts with UnitedHealthcare.

Seven payers, including UnitedHealthcare, Molina Healthcare and Centene subsidiary SuperiorHealth Plan, were awarded contracts to manage Texas' STAR +PLUS program, which provides Medicaid to adults with disabilities or are 65 years of age and older. 

Humana, Aetna and Molina are not renewing their contracts with senior companionship company Papa following allegations of abuse against patients or company employees, Bloomberg reported Sept. 11.

Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Rockville Centre, N.Y.-based Catholic Health have partnered on a multi-year value-based payment and care delivery model.

Contract negotiations between health systems and insurers are a common occurrence across healthcare, but every so often talks disintegrate and disputes make their way into the public eye.

Cigna is out of network with some of Madera, Calif.-based Valley Children's Healthcare's facilities. 

Michigan is seeking contractors to manage Medicaid care for more than 2.2 million people. 

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia has filed a cease and desist order against Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health for allegedly denying access to Anthem's Medicaid patients amid a tense reimbursement rate dispute between the organizations, ABC affiliate WRIC reported Aug. 22.

The Government Accountability Office has rejected a challenge from Centene subsidiary Health Net over the Defense Department's decision to award the contract to manage Tricare's western region to TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Military.com reported Aug. 15. 

A growing number of older adults and low-income individuals are losing health insurance coverage because of a reimbursement rate dispute between Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield plans and Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health. 

New Mexico will award Medicaid managed care contracts to Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico, Presbyterian Health Plan, United Health Plan and Molina Health Plan.

UnitedHealthcare patients will be back in network with Conway (Ark.) Regional Health System Aug. 15 after the sides were able to come to an agreement, Arkansas Business reported Aug. 9. 

Phoenix Children's patients will be out of network with Aetna after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement by their Aug. 6 deadline. 

Brookings (S.D.) Health System will no longer be in-network with any Medicare Advantage plans in 2024, the Brookings Register reported Aug. 7. 

UnitedHealthcare and Orlando (Fla.) Health have reached an agreement that will keep 70,000 patients in network at the health system, ABC affiliate WFTV reported Aug. 1.

Centene subsidiary Superior HealthPlan was awarded a new six-year contract to administer Texas' Medicaid coverage for the aged, blind and disabled population. 

Patients with UnitedHealthcare plans could go out of network at Orlando (Fla.) Health if the two sides are unable to reach a new contract by July 31, the Orlando Sentinel reported July 18. 

Pittsburgh-based Highmark Blue Shield has added two Southeastern Pennsylvania-based health systems ahead of its move into the region next year, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported July 19.