SALINAS, CA (January 9, 2012) Harry Weis, CEO of Natividad Medical Center (NMC), announced today that NMC is currently negotiating a new contract with Anthem Blue Cross of California. Blue Cross has unilaterally issued a contract termination notice to Natividad Medical Center for inpatient and outpatient services effective January 15, 2012.
The termination will be in effect if Natividad does not agree to their proposed reduced rates. The Blue Cross contract proposal will cost Natividad millions of dollars in reimbursement. While Blue Cross is asking for millions of dollars from Natividad, their parent company, Wellpoint, made nearly $3 billion in profit according to their most recent published financial statements.
Natividad Medical Center is continuing with the negotiations with Blue Cross. The hospital hopes to reach a fair contract by January 14, 2012 to avoid the termination. If NMC is unable to reach an agreement, the hospital will do everything it can so that patients can continue to receive care at Natividad like a Tier 1 facility at no more cost to patients
“Typically, patients who choose to receive care at a hospital out of their insurance network have to pay more money out-of-pocket,” said Weis. “We take our responsibility to this community and to our patients very seriously, and we will work hard to do our very best for you.”
For more information, patients can call Natividad at 831-783-2961, contact us at bluecrossbenefits.com or visit us at www.natividad.com.
About Natividad Medical Center
Natividad Medical Center is a Monterey County owned and operated 172 bed acute care hospital providing health care services to the people of the county for more than 125 years. Natividad Medical Center offers inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. NMC provides more than 33,000 patient days each year and more than 42,000 emergency department visits per year. NMC is ranked #1 in newborn deliveries in Monterey County. Natividad is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast, through its affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With a medical staff of more than 250 physicians, Natividad’s mission is to continually improve the health status of the people of Monterey County through access to affordable, high-quality health care services. Natividad is based in Salinas, California. For more information, please call 831-755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE COMMUNITY
1. In emergencies, you should always go to the nearest hospital, regardless of whether it is in-network or out-of-network. If you receive emergency care at Natividad, the cost to you will be no different than if you receive emergency care at any other hospital.
2. For all health care services, you can continue to come to Natividad. We will work with you to make sure that your out-of-pocket expenses are the same as they would be if NMC was part of the Tier 1 Blue Cross network.
3. We would like you to help us by contacting Blue Cross in support of keeping Natividad’s rates as they are today and retain its status as a fully contracted Tier 1 facility. Please see the attached information.
View the Newspaper Ad - Dated January 12, 2012
For questions, please contact us.
