Payer Contracting

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts added three physician groups to its network as the payer said the state continues to experience a primary care physician shortage due to increased patient demand and more clinicians leaving the field.

Humana will contract with two durable medical equipment companies to provide medical devices to its Medicare Advantage members. 

Baton Rouge (La.) General has reached an agreement on a new contract with Cigna but remains out of network with Aetna, The Advocate reported May 9. 

Phoenix Children's will go out of network with UnitedHealthcare on June 1 if the sides are unable to reach an agreement on a new contract. 

Prescott, Ariz.-based Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center is back in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona after the sides agreed to a new contract. 

UnitedHealthcare and Tulsa, Okla.-based Hillcrest HealthCare System have agreed to a new contract, avoiding a split that was set to take effect May 1 if no agreement was in place. 

Aetna has reached a tentative contract agreement with the six University of California health systems, avoiding a split that would have affected thousands of patients, the Sacramento Bee reported April 22. 

The Defense Health Agency reaffirmed its decision to award a $65.1 billion contract to TriWest Healthcare Alliance to manage its Tricare West Region contract. 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and Abilene, Texas-based Hendrick Health have extended their contract another month to avoid a split between the organizations.

Florida is seeking proposals for payers to manage its $38 billion Medicaid program.