Blue Cross Blue Shield and UMMC reach agreement to allow patient access

The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi (Blue Cross) have reached an agreement.

Effective December 15, 2022, all UMMC facilities, physicians and other individual Professional Providers are fully participating Network Providers for all Blue Cross commercial health plans, including the Federal Employee Plan and Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans from other states.

Blue Cross and UMMC remain focused on their missions of serving Mississippians’ health care needs.

The terms of the contracts are confidential.

The Mississippi Insurance Department released the following.

Commissioner Mike Chaney and the Mississippi Insurance Department Team, are grateful to announce an early Christmas gift to over 750,000 policyholders as the contract dispute between the University of Mississippi Medical Center (“UMMC”) and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi (“BCBSMS”) has been resolved and a network agreement has been reached. 

The following should be attributed to Comm. Chaney:

“While this matter drug on far too long and resulted in undue hardship and disregard for many patients and over 750,000 BCBS enrollees, I am thankful that the parties were able to overcome their differences and find common ground.  UMMC is in the process of informing its patients that the hospital and Methodist Rehab are back in network. Children and patients in need of specialty medical now have access to UMMC.

I wish to thank Mr. Walter Johnson for his work in mediating the dispute.   His early efforts played an integral part in the parties achieving a resolution.  I sincerely hope that UMMC and BCBSMS will now move forward in a collaborative relationship to provide innovative, accessible and affordable healthcare in our State and will put patients and policyholders as their first priority.    

Unrelated to this network dispute, BCBSMS removed Monroe and Pontotoc County public school health providers from the state health plan networks without notifying the state, last week.  All the public school providers are back in network as of today. 

I will be pursuing legislation in the 2023 Session to protect consumers and policyholders in the future from getting caught in the middle of these types of contract disputes.”