The clock is ticking louder for Florida Blue policyholders as the insurer and Broward Health remain at an impasse on a new agreement after three months of negotiations.
If no deal is reached, Broward Health will be out of network for Florida Blue customers after June 30, when the current hospital-insurer contract ends.
The stalemate, as with similar insurer-hospital contract negotiations in recent years, centers on how much more Florida Blue would need to reimburse the hospital for patient care.
On its website, Broward Health said it is asking Florida Blue for payment comparable to what the insurer provides other providers in South Florida and "rates provided by other insurance companies for the same services."
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Florida Blue, meantime, said it is concerned that higher rates – a reported 60 percent increase – would be passed on to patients.
Last year, Florida Blue completed last-minute deals with Naples-based NCH and Jacksonville's Baptist Health after lengthy and often-contentious negotiations.
If no deal is reached by the deadline, all Broward Health services, facilities, clinics and physicians would be out of network for Florida Blue policyholders as of July 1.
The Jacksonville-based insurer has notified more than 17,000 of its customers of that possibility.
The change would affect all insurance plans, including commercial/marketplace and Medicare, according to the health system.
However, Florida Blue patients who have already started to receive care may be able to continue for a period on an in-network basis, depending on the condition, the health plan and other circumstances, according to Broward Health.
Out-of-pocket costs for Florida Blue customers would likely increase for non-emergent services at Broward Health.
Fort Lauderdale-based Broward Health is a public, nonprofit system overseen by a board of commissioners, who are appointed by the governor.
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