PHOENIX — After months of uncertainty for many Valley families, PCH and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona have reached an agreement to bring the hospital back into the insurance company's network.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, or AZ Blue, made the announcement Saturday morning.
The company says the agreement takes effect immediately, and family with PCH in their plan can access in-network care starting today.
Those members can also expect claims that were processed when the hospital was out of network to be re-processed as in-network claims. AZ Blue officials say that process could take a few months to complete.
Officials at Phoenix Children's provided ABC15 the following statement:
"Phoenix Children’s announced today it has reached a new, multi-year agreement with BlueCross BlueShield of Arizona, ensuring patient families with BlueCross BlueShield insurance coverage can receive the care they need at in-network benefit levels.
“We recognize this has been a difficult time for families navigating out-of-network coverage options. As with previous contract discussions, Phoenix Children’s has been working diligently on behalf of our patients to ensure agreements with insurance providers serve the needs of our growing community, and we had to get it right,” said Robert L. Meyer, Phoenix Children’s President and CEO. “Families have trusted us for more than 40 years to provide the highest quality pediatric care when and where they need us most. This new contract upholds that commitment.”
The agreement ensures our shared BlueCross BlueShield members and Phoenix Children’s patients have access to world-class pediatric healthcare services at in-network benefit levels, including inpatient, outpatient, trauma, surgical, emergency, urgent and primary care at its two hospital campuses and more than 50 locations throughout Arizona."
The dispute between the hospital and the insurance companies has lasted several months, as their previous agreement expired in October.
