Baptist Health, Florida Blue deal comes as relief to local first responders

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Blue and Baptist Health have reached a new multi-year agreement that will ensure policyholders won’t lose access to one of the city’s largest health care providers.

Action News Jax first told you Monday evening when a deal was reached in principle.

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Tens of thousands in Northeast Florida are breathing a sigh of relief now that Florida Blue and Baptist Health have reached a new multi-year agreement that will keep the hospital in the Florida Blue network.

“You know, it would have been a huge impact,” Randy Wyse with the Jacksonville Police Officers and Fire Fighters Health Insurance Trust said.

Wyse said news the two health care giants reached a deal provides comfort to as many as 2,300 local police and firefighters, who have their primary care doctor with Baptist.

Read: Florida Blue, Baptist Health announce multi-year agreement after months of negotiations

“All of our members would have to have found new doctors, we have several members going through cancer issues that would not have been able to utilize MD Anderson under the insurance,” Wyse said.

During the multi-month negotiation, Baptist accused Florida Blue of lowballing the hospital on reimbursement rates, while Florida Blue claimed the cost increases proposed by Baptist would have resulted in rate increases for policyholders.

Details of the deal are scant.

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But in a video posted to YouTube, Baptist Health CEO Michael Mayo argued the two companies should now look towards the future.

“We believe this resolution will benefit both parties involved, but most importantly, the community we serve,” Mayo said.

Florida Blue did not respond when asked if the new deal would result in rate increases.

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As far as local firefighters and police are concerned, Wyse said any potential rate hike won’t likely come until 2026.

“And at the end of next year, we’ll take a look at everything and determine what kind of costs that’s gonna drive that, but we have not received anything as of yet,” Wyse said.

Wyse said he’s not surprised so few details of the deal have been released, adding he wouldn’t be shocked if we don’t hear anything until next week.

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