Dec 06, 2022
Blue Shield of California has yet to reach an agreement on rates and terms of contracts with Choice Medical Group Apple Valley and Choice Medical Group Barstow, and the current agreement will end on January 31, 2023.
As required by regulators, Blue Shield will send commercial (Small Business and Large Group) HMO and POS members with a Choice Medical Group primary care physician (PCP) a notification 60 days prior to the network termination, which means they should receive a letter in the first week of December (sample). Should an agreement be reached in the interim, members will again be notified by mail with an update. Although they have reached this juncture and are required to send member notifications, Blue Shield continues to negotiate terms that will allow them to offer their members access to Choice Medical Group without jeopardizing the long-term affordability of healthcare coverage in San Bernardino.
Blue Shield is preparing to facilitate a smooth transition to alternate PCPs and medical groups so members will continue to have uninterrupted access to quality medical care in San Bernardino, while they work to secure the best possible outcome. If a member’s PCP is part of another in-network medical group, they will be assigned that same PCP. Otherwise, members will be assigned a new PCP based on geography and availability. PCP reassignment will not occur until the end of the contract period. However, members may change their PCP at any time by using Blue Shield’s Find a Doctor tool.
