SPOKANE — Thousands of people in Spokane County could be searching for new doctors this summer as MultiCare Health and Premera Blue Cross remain locked in contract negotiations.
MultiCare served a contract termination notice to Premera that would go into effect June 1 if the two sides don’t reach an agreement. The healthcare providers have been negotiating since November.
“We still have a way to go. We are communicating directly to our members, but the work is cut out for us over the next several weeks,” said David Condon, Premera’s Eastern Washington vice president.
If negotiations fail, patients with Premera insurance would need to find new doctors and hospitals. Premera has about 64,000 members in Spokane County, and 40,000 have used MultiCare clinics in the past year.
Condon said MultiCare’s proposed terms would dramatically increase costs.
“Well for a knee replacement, if we were to implement what the request is, it could be a $17,000 increase. If you are going to have a baby it could be a $7,000 increase. So those costs roll right into premiums, right into copays,” Condon said.
MultiCare said in a statement that Premera’s reimbursement rates “are among the lowest” and “have not kept pace with rising costs driven by inflation, workforce needs, and investments necessary to preserve services.”
The two sides have until May 31 to reach an agreement.
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