Dive Brief:
- Sacred Heart Health System, based in Northwest Florida, has announced that it will remain a participating provider with Florida Blue.
- The organizations reached a contract agreement that will keep Sacred Heart in Florida Blue's network for another three years.
- The deal comes after a negotiation standstill in which Sacred Heart warned its customers that its Florida Blue contract might end on July 1.
Dive Insight:
The organizations had reportedly been unable to come to an agreement for several months, but ultimately proved too important to one another to part ways.
"Our hospitals in Miramar Beach, Port St. Joe and Pensacola, including our Children's Hospital, will continue to be a participating provider in Florida Blue plans," said Sacred Heart Health System president and CEO Susan Davis in a prepared statement.
"The Northwest Florida community is a very important market" to the company, said Florida Blue's VP of delivery system, Kirk Fischer. "Our new contract with Sacred Heart ensures we can continue to provide the members in the area with access to high-quality and affordable healthcare."