Opinion: BlueCross’ decision shows how competition can lower health care prices
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee announced it would not renew its contract with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare due to costs, if an agreement was not reached by Jan. 1, 2023. Because no agreement was made, BlueCross members lost access to Methodist hospitals in the new year. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
Cynthia A. Fisher
Cynthia A. Fisher is the founder and chairman of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, a nonprofit 501c3 and nonpartisan organization focused on healthcare price transparency that was advised by former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn M.D. (R) from Oklahoma.
“BlueCross BlueShield’s move is a welcome sign of the emergence of a competitive, price-transparent health care marketplace, which is needed to reverse runaway costs driven by hospital overcharging.”
Related stories
Opinion: BlueCross BlueShield Tennessee strong-arms frontline doctors
“For more than two years, our heroic clinicians have risked their safety while treating patients on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic in communities large and small.”
2022 Year-in-Review: Health Care Issues
In the fall, Shelby County experienced a rough and early flu season, fueled by decreased immunity, an early spike in respiratory illnesses and low vaccination rates.
Pediatric patients could face fallout from failed contract negotiations
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital has the region’s primary level 1 pediatric trauma center, the only comprehensive pediatric cerebral palsy clinic within 200 miles and one of the largest pediatric surgical brain tumor programs.
Want to comment on our stories? Or read the comments of others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only subscribers can view or add comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.