Local residents with health insurance plans from Blue Shield of California likely already learned that Adventist Health is no longer within their provider network.
According to a news release dated Dec. 1, Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley Hospital is among 17 facilities throughout California that no longer have a contract with Blue Shield.
“We are deeply disappointed that after 11 months of negotiations, we were unable to reach an agreement with Blue Shield of California,” the nonprofit healthcare company said. “We will continue to update you as the current situation evolves.”
Adventist Health said its contract with Blue Shield of California ended on Dec. 1, “which will affect Blue Shield of California commercially insured PPO/EPO/HMO, Medicare Advantage PPO/HMO, and Medi-Cal Managed Care HMO patients.”
In a statement on Dec. 5, a Blue Shield executive said the health insurance company had been negotiating with Adventist Health leadership throughout 2023.
“Almost a year ago, Adventist Health notified Blue Shield of California that it wanted to end our network relationship and negotiate a new contract for its hospital facilities,” said Patty Gonzalez, vice president of network management and provider partnerships.
She said Blue Shield is a tax-paying nonprofit health plan and that it was disappointed to have not been able to reach a new agreement with Adventist.
“We have notified our members and taken steps to ensure they will have uninterrupted access to quality medical care in their area,” Gonzalez said.
For local residents, Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley is the only hospital and emergency room within about 40 miles.
According to the news release, Blue Shield members who need emergency services should call 911 or seek care at the nearest emergency room.
“Blue Shield will provide the full emergency care level of benefits for these services, including if the emergency services are provided at an Adventist Health facility,” a fact sheet stated.
This is not the first time Adventist Health has not been able to negotiate a contract with a major health insurance company.
In August 2022 Adventist Health came to terms with Anthem Blue Cross after several months without a contract.
