Willis-Knighton Employee Calls Blue Cross Blue Shield Letters ‘Scare Tactic’

Blue Cross Blue Shield is sending out letters to its local customers, telling them that come May 15, doctors in the Willis-Knighton Physician Network will no longer be part of its Preferred Care network. KEEL received a call this morning from a Willis-Knighton employee who said this is just a scare tactic.

"We go through this every several years when the contract comes up for renegotation," the caller, who wished to remain anonymous, said. "The insurance companies are the ones that are sending out the letters to scare their consumers, and I think it's ridiculous. Our phones are gonna ring off the hook today from panic."

She said physicians and BCBS will bicker back and forth until a negotiation is reached, because these doctors can't afford to lose their biggest player.

So, what will this employee say to folks when those calls start coming in?

"I'm going to tell you to relax," she said. "I've never seen a negotiation not reach a mutual agreement. We've never stopped taking in insurance."

The deadline laid out in the letter is May 15. Does she think an agreement will be reached by then?

"Maybe not. I've seen them go up to the last day," she said. "I think I've seen them go a little bit past the actual deadline. There might be a few weeks, I don't know, it's really hard to say. And maybe, there's a 1% chance in my mind that they won't reach a contract. But I highly, highly, highly doubt it. People need to relax."

She said if it does happen where there's a lapse and WK won't take BCBS, patients need to call their doctors and ask what they can do. Because most times, it won't cost that much for you to see those physicians.

She believes this all boils down to the tiny nuts and bolts in Obamacare. "It's a mess," she said.