Medicare supplemental insurance not affected by Blue Cross change

Oct. 11--GALESBURG -- Medicare supplemental insurance is not affected by the termination of the Blue Cross Blue Shield health-insurance network at most OSF HealthCare hospitals in Illinois.

OSF Media Relations Coordinator Shelli Dankoff said the termination does not affect Medicare Select products.

"Patients may continue to use OSF hospitals and their OSF physician as before. BCBSIL has terminated only commercial products, including all PPO, EPO and Blue Choice products. The Medicare Select products are supplemental products to traditional Medicare and are not affected by this termination," she said in an email.

That news comes one day after Blue Cross announced it was dropping most OSF hospitals in the state, with the exception of Saint Anthony's Medical Center in Alton, as of Jan. 1. That included OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center (Peoria) as well as Saint Mary's in Galesburg, Saint Luke's in Kewanee and Holy Family in Monmouth.

UnityPoint Health-Methodist announced Tuesday that it would be in-network for Blue Cross Blue Shield as of Jan. 1. Galesburg Cottage Hospital is also now in-network for BCBS as of Jan. 1, a spokeswoman for the hospital confirmed to The Register-Mail late Tuesday.

Further official statements from Galesburg Cottage Hospital were not available late Wednesday after attempts for comment by The Register-Mail.

Eileen Inness, director of marketing and public relations at Cottage Hospital, said on air with WGIL Wednesday morning that OSF had had an exclusive contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield. This is the first time Cottage will be in-network for Blue Cross since 1985, she told WGIL.

OSF non-hospital facilities, including physicians and cardiovascular and neurological institutes, are not affected by the change.

OSF and Blue Cross representatives said Tuesday that they are open to continuing contract discussions.

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