The system’s chief medical officer, Michael Lamanteer, MD, said in a Sept. 6 letter to patients that Baptist St. Anthony is “continuing to experience extraordinary cost pressures around labor, supplies and inflation.”
“In order to continue investing in the quality care and services patients and employers have come to expect, we are seeking a new contract with [Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas] that reimburses us at a level that reflects these additional costs.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas said in an emailed statement to Becker’s it is negotiating in good faith and is committed to reaching an agreement
“While we want agreements that compensate BSA fairly, their rate demand is clearly not in the best interests of our members, Amarillo businesses or the communities we serve,” the statement read. “As a customer-owned health insurance industry leader in Texas for more than 90 years, it is important to stand up for affordable care, especially in a time when most businesses and our members are facing inflationary pressures and a potential recession.”
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