Boulder Community Health to start accepting many Kaiser plans

Boulder Community Health has announced it will start accepting many Kaiser Permanente health insurance plans this week.

Effective Friday, Boulder's Foothills Hospital will become part of the Kaiser network for most of Boulder County's 38,000 Kaiser members. However, the hospital will not be in-network for members with Kaiser Permanente Select plans.

"I think Kaiser members are an important part of our community. Thousands of people in the Boulder region who have these Kaiser insurance plans are now going to have access to Boulder Community Health," BCH Chief Financial Officer Bill Munson told the Daily Camera, adding that BCH will offer locations "closer to home" for many members. "This agreement with Kaiser aligns with BCH's vision, which is partnering to create and care for the healthiest community in the nation."

Sarah Allen, vice president of marketing, sales and business development for Kaiser, told the Camera the organization "could not be more excited" about the partnership with BCH.

"This is a really big addition for our existing membership up in Boulder (County)," she said. "We have been looking to add (BCH) into our network. This is something that our customers and our future customers have been asking for for a while. We're thrilled to offer it. We see this, really, as a game changer."

Additionally, Kaiser signed a provider agreement with the Boulder Valley Care Network to offer certain Kaiser members access to more than 600 primary care and specialty physicians and clinicians, including BCH clinicians.

This option will be in-network for Kaiser members with Choice PPO, Senior Advantage Choice PPO and Senior Advantage (HMO) Medicare health plan members. The agreement with Boulder Valley Care Network also allows these patients to use BCH facilities across Boulder County, including the Della Cava Family Medical Pavilion in Boulder, the Community Medical Center in Lafayette and the Erie Medical Center.

BCH, a nonprofit health care system, offers a network of providers and facilities in Boulder, Erie, Lafayette, Longmont and Superior.