Genesis OBGYN and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Reach Agreement on New Contract

Update 5/18/2023:

We are pleased to announce that Genesis OBGYN has entered into a new agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ), effective June 1, 2023.  Your provider will be in BCBSAZ’s network effective June 1, 2023, and this new agreement will ensure that there is no disruption to your access to quality, affordable health care.

Please call our office today to schedule your next appointment at 520-795-0771 or request an appointment through the patient portal here.

It is our privilege to serve as your healthcare provider.  Our commitment, as your provider, has always been to provide exemplary care.  We look forward to our continued partnership with BCBSAZ and to being your lifelong OBGYN provider.

For services provided between December 15, 2022 and March 14, 2023, Genesis OBGYN will continue to honor your in-network benefits.  We are working closely with BCBSAZ to resolve all claims impacted by this brief out of network period.

Genesis OBGYN Remains Committed to Serving Patients with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Coverage

Update 1/4/2023: Genesis OBGYN announced today that it has contacted Tucson-area employers directly as part of its efforts to provide ongoing care to patients with insurance coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ). More than 16,000 local patients were impacted when the agreement between Genesis and BCBSAZ terminated December 15, 2022.

“Genesis OBGYN recognizes that this situation has caused our patients undue frustration and is doing everything within its power to provide uninterrupted access to the highest quality care for all of them,” said Christopher Sullivan, MD, Genesis OBGYN Medical Director. “While we continue our efforts to negotiate with BCBSAZ, we have reached out to employers that include the State of Arizona, U.S. Border Patrol, and several local school districts, colleges and hospitals to explore opportunities for direct payment arrangements with those groups to help mitigate negative impacts.”

Genesis OBGYN has initiated several discussions between the two parties since December 15 in hopes of reaching a mutual agreement. In the meantime, BCBSAZ has agreed to honor continuity of care for all pregnant patients, and those scheduled for a surgical procedure at the time of contract termination. Genesis remains out of network for well-woman exams and other office visits.

“For many years, Genesis has accepted reimbursement rates from BCBSAZ that are significantly lower than those of other private insurers and AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid Agency,” said Dr. Sullivan. “We can no longer do so and continue to deliver quality care over the long term to our patients. Unfortunately, we were unable to move forward under a new agreement, which would have included cost savings programs, leaving us in the current situation.”

Genesis OBGYN is currently an in-network provider for many health plans to include UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Arizona Complete Health, Banner University Health Plan, Mercy Care Plan, AHCCCS, Medicare, TRICARE, and many others.

Genesis OBGYN and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Terminate Agreement

Posted 12/15/2023: Please know that first and foremost, Genesis OBGYN and its providers remain committed to providing you with the best care possible and recognize the significant impact this decision will have on you and your families. Your provider demonstrated this outstanding commitment to patient care throughout the early days and months of the COVID-19 pandemic by continuing to see patients in that time of great uncertainty and potential risk to care center teams. We have always been there for you and hope to continue to provide you with exemplary care in the future, just as we did during the pandemic. It is this commitment, and your provider’s desire to support you throughout your healthcare journey, that has driven us to hold multiple rounds of good-faith negotiations in recent months with BCBCAZ.

In spite of our ongoing efforts to remain in-network, the Genesis OBGYN agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) has terminated, effective December 15, 2022. We know that you trust and value your relationship with your provider so we regret any confusion and disruption to care this has caused you.

We are also disappointed that BCBSAZ has allowed the agreement to lapse. During each discussion, BCBSAZ has insisted on reimbursement rates that are significantly lower than the rates that Medicaid and other payor partners allow for the same care. BCBSAZ have increased their reimbursement to us on average by less than 1% per year, while the average family insurance premium has increased by 20% since 2017 (according to the Kaiser Family Foundation).

Genesis OBGYN and its providers are experiencing the same challenges with inflation and the rising costs of supplies, services, employee benefits and related items that you are feeling. Our requested increases have been humble compared to the premium increases employers and members have borne in recent years, and are intended to help ensure we can provide the same level of care to patients.
Genesis OBGYN will continue to negotiate to achieve reduced costs for both the health plan and patients, while enhancing patient safety and care quality. In the meantime, we will do everything possible to provide you with continuity of care and to minimize any disruption to care.

In the meantime, please note the following information:

What does this mean for you?

If you have an appointment scheduled, we recommend that you do not cancel it at this time, as our in-network status may change. Please be aware that an out-of-network visit may incur a higher cost depending on your plan. We continue to be in network with most other plans, including those offered by UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Humana, Cigna, and many others. If you are thinking about switching insurance companies, please call our office to confirm that we are in network with your new plan.

If you are pregnant or have a surgical procedure scheduled
If you are currently pregnant, undergoing a course of treatment, or have a surgery scheduled, our office will remain an in-network provider until your delivery and post-partum care or post-op visits have been completed.

You will need to request “continuity of care” – please call your provider’s office at your earliest convenience so we can make these arrangements.

*Please note that well woman exams and routine office visits unrelated to pregnancy or surgery are not eligible for continuity of care.

How can you help?
Please contact BCBSAZ by email or social media and urge them to resume negotiations with Genesis OBGYN, honor their commitments to Arizona women, and resolve this situation.

Please continue to contact BCBSAZ or post on BCBSAZ’s Facebook page to ensure that BCBS understands that excluding more than 50 OBGYN healthcare providers from its network is an unacceptable change that impacts access to care for thousands of women in Arizona.
BCBS needs to hear the following messages directly from you:

• You are disappointed that BCBSAZ has allowed the agreement to lapse, resulting in Genesis OBGYN’s termination from the BCBSAZ network.
• BCBSAZ’s decision to allow the agreement to terminate removes more than 50 OBGYN healthcare providers from its network and is an unacceptable change that impacts access to care for 16,000 women in Arizona.
• Use the hashtag #DoBetter when messaging or commenting on BCBSAZ’s social media.
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It is our continued privilege to serve as your trusted healthcare provider, and we will do everything possible to minimize any disruption that impacts your care.