Three-year contract puts Piedmont back in BCBS network

Just after midnight Thursday, officials representing Piedmont hospitals and physicians agreed to a three-year contract with Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Georgia, ending a statemate between the parties.

The most recent contract expired June 30 leading to BCBS HMO/POS and PPO members being forced to switch to other physicians and facilities or pay a out-of-network surcharge for healthcare.
With the agreement in place, BCBS members in Fayette and Coweta counties can resume being treated by Piedmont-affiliated physicians and at Piedmont’s network of hospitals, including Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville, without paying the out-of-network fees.

BCBS patients who changed their primary care physicians can change back to their Piedmont physician by calling the toll-free phone number on the back of their member ID card, the company said.

Piedmont spokesperson Nina Montenaro said that Blue Cross patients comprised 25 percent of the patients seen at Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville. Statewide, Blue Cross indicated that in the past 18 months, 131,000 of its customers had been seen at a Piedmont facility or by a Piedmont physician, Montenaro added.
Piedmont is also attempting to acquire Newnan Hospital, though the purchase has been slowed somewhat by litigation filed by Coweta Rehabilitation Services LLC, which is a business partner of Newnan Hospital.

Montenaro acknowledged that the process took a long time, but Piedmont was looking forward to resuming care for patients, particularly here in Fayetteville.

“You could almost hear the building sign (in relief) this morning,” Montenaro said.
BCBS President Caz Matthews said both sides appreciated the support and patience of the company’s members, patients and the business community.

“While we know this has been a complex process, BCBS and Piedmont Healthcare have come to an agreement that ultimately accomplishes a very important mission — providing patients and members access to affordable, quality healthcare,” Matthews said.

The Fayette County Commission was so concerned about the stalemate between Piedmont and BCBS that it switched from Blue Cross to Cigna for insurance as of July 1 to insure county employees they could be seen at Piedmont Fayette Hospital.