A last-minute deal has been reached between Legacy Health system and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, keeping the system in-network for around 200,000 insured patients. The previous contract was set to expire at midnight, but the two parties came to an agreement just in time to prevent any disruption in service for patients.
If an agreement had not been reached, Legacy patients with Regence plans would have faced higher out-of-network fees and increased out-of-pocket costs or had to find a new provider as of Monday. The public sparring between the two organizations in recent weeks had left patients uncertain about the future of their healthcare coverage.
This is the second time this year that such a dramatic negotiation played out between Regence and a Portland-area health system, with Providence Health & Services also reaching a last-minute deal in January. Details about the specifics of the agreement between Regence and Legacy were not disclosed, with both parties simply stating that there would be no interruption in service for patients.
Legacy Health’s chief population health officer, Merrin Permut, expressed relief that patients can continue to see their trusted providers and receive services at their hospitals without any disruption. The resolution of this agreement comes as a relief to many patients who were facing uncertainty about their healthcare coverage.
