As of Tuesday, Nov. 17, Springfield Clinic is no longer an in-network provider covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) insurance.
The change applies to all Springfield Clinic locations.
More than 100,000 Springfield Clinic patients will now have to pay more for their doctor's office visits, according to Springfield Clinic.
Springfield Clinic says Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) terminated them as an in-network provider for its existing commercial plans.
A spokesperson with the clinic says it was done without notice in advance.
In an August press release, BCBSIL claimed Springfield Clinic sent them a notice that they were leaving the Blue Choice network in 30 days.
They said this was an improper notice as the terms of their agreement with Springfield Clinic require a longer notification period.
Both parties said over the summer and fall they would continue to work together on a new agreement. Unfortunately, no announcement on a new agreement has been made.
Springfield Clinic became out-of-network for BCBSIL members as of Nov. 17, 2021.
Springfield Clinic says it will continue to provide patient care to those covered by BCBS, but it would be through out-of-network coverage.
Springfield Clinic provided the statement below when asked for comment on the situation:
We share in our patients’ frustration that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois removed Springfield Clinic as an in-network provider. Springfield Clinic is a significant driver of affordable healthcare in central Illinois. Our outpatient procedures and infusions cost a fraction of the price patients would pay in a hospital setting. That’s exactly why we are seeing scores of employers and thousands of patients make accommodations or switch insurance carriers to stay in-network with our providers.
Patients can access the Springfield Clinic Insurance Call Center at 217.391.7086.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois sent us the following statement in response to the situation with Springfield Clinic:
We’ve been attempting to build a new arrangement with Springfield Clinic that would protect our member’s health care dollars while giving them access to quality providers at competitive prices.
We hoped the Clinic would stay in our networks. Unfortunately, Springfield Clinic chose to go out-of-network effective today, November 17, 2021. Our members are our top priority. We offer a network of more than 3,000 in-network doctors and health care professionals in the Central Illinois region and we are here to help transition our members to in-network providers as seamlessly as possible. Members can find out which providers are in-network by going to the Provider Finder on bcbsil.com, registering or logging in to Blue Access for Members℠ or calling the Customer Service number on their ID card.
Disclaimer: Blue Cross Blue Shield is the insurance provider for Sinclair Broadcast Group employees. Springfield Clinic is a sponsor with NewsChannel 20 and FOX Illinois