WellNow urgent care and health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield were not able to reach an agreement on network status prior to the ultimate expiration of the 2023 contract year, according to a news report on Syracuse.com. Both companies say they’ve engaged in good-faith discussions in an attempt to continue the contract for 2024, and Excellus reportedly offered an increase in reimbursement during negotiations. WellNow is the sole storefront provider of urgent care in central New York and has been in talks for months attempting to reach a new agreement. In New York, Excellus covered 300,000 WellNow visits last year.
Alternative choices: Patients might end up either paying out-of-network or cash fees for visits to WellNow or going to the emergency department. A local group of primary care providers also says it’s prepared for a potential influx of patient calls.
Is your urgent care out-of-network with an insurance payer? Read JUCM’s new article on The Challenges Of Billing Out-Of-Network