Deadline nearing for contract negotiations between NCH and Florida Blue

The fight between NCH and Florida Blue is down to the wire, as neither side has reached an agreement for months.

If there’s no deal by Sept. 30, patients with Florida Blue will not have any NCH doctors in-network and will have to pay out of pocket.

Patients are nervous about losing their doctor or paying more to keep seeing the same physician.

“We’re going to have to be really careful about having a plan to get to an emergency room other than the ones nearby us,” said Rich, an NCH patient. “That’s number one. We will have to switch for the doctors and the care we have now at NCH. We’ll have to leave that unless they can come to terms here.”

Right now, the two sides are pointing fingers at each other.

NCH patients with Florida Blue insurance received a letter saying the contract isn’t keeping up with inflation.

WINK News received a statement from Florida Blue, which reads, “Their current demands for higher rates without commitment to improve the efficiency of care would only result in higher costs for those in the community, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet.”

Florida Blue is one of the biggest insurers in the state and is offered at Florida Gulf Coast University and government agencies.

NCH and Florida Blue have until Oct. 1 to make a deal.

WINK News reached out to NCH for a statement on Monday.

A spokesperson responded with the following quote:

“NCH continues to proactively negotiate with Florida Blue to resolve contract terms with the insurance company. The system is seeking fair reimbursement from the insurance company to cover the rising cost of patient care and preserve local access to doctors and vital services for families across Southwest Florida.”

The statement continued to mention the following:

“If Florida Blue forces NCH out of network and refuses to pay our community healthcare system fairly, thousands of patients will be without access to local doctors and specialists,” said Betsy Brothers, MD, NCH North Hospital Chief Medical Officer. “As the only birthing center in Collier County, it’s critical that Florida Blue recognizes the role NCH plays in community health and listens to the patients and their customers, who depend on us when they say they want – and need – to keep their doctors in-network. We hope Florida Blue recognizes that and does the right thing.”