Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System issued a formal contract termination notice to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, setting the stage for upcoming contract negotiations.
The provider told Becker's that issuing the termination notice is part of Memorial Hermann's "routine negotiation process" with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. However, the health system said Blue Cross and Blue Shield responded with a physician agreement termination notice, which it said is not how negotiations over the past 15 years have been handled.
"We remain committed to working with BCBSTX to reach a new agreement that prevents any disruption in the high-quality care Memorial Hermann provides to our patients," Memorial Hermann said in a statement to Becker's. "We look forward to BCBSTX doing the same by actively engaging in meaningful discussions to protect our shared patients' and members' in-network access to Memorial Hermann."
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas did not immediately respond to Becker's request for comment.
The negotiations put about 100,000 patients in limbo if an agreement isn't struck, according to the Houston Chronicle. Memorial Hermann told Becker's that the current contract expires Feb. 28, 2022.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.