Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare remains in negotiations with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and Health Alliance Medical Plans days before OSF's acquisition of two hospitals owned by Chicago-based Presence Health, The News-Gazette.
On Thursday, OSF will purchase Presence Covenant Medical Center, a 206-bed facility in Urbana, and will acquire Presence United Samaritans Medical Center, a 174-bed hospital in Danville. Although hospitals in OSF's system are in network with BCBSI and Health Alliance, and the two hospitals OSF will acquire contract with the payers under Presence, a new contract is needed to ensure patients at the to-be-acquired hospitals remain in network with the payers following the transaction.
OSF spokesperson Shelli Dankoff told The News-Gazette, "OSF HealthCare did resolve our BCBS contract for our current OSF hospitals." OSF HealthCare and BCBS reached a contract impasse late last year, but resolved the dispute by inking a new in-network agreement Nov. 22. "However, BCBSI was unwilling at that time to discuss the two Presence hospitals," Ms. Dankoff added.
BCBSI is working with OSF to resolve negotiations for the Presence hospitals, according to the report. For Health Alliance's part, spokesperson Laura Mabry told the publication Health Alliance is also working to ink an in-network agreement for the two hospitals.
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