Sarasota Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Kim Savage announced the tentative deal in a news release Tuesday afternoon.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield/Florida Blue (BCBS) has been a valued partner of ours for decades and we are working as quickly as we can to finalize the terms of a three-year renewal agreement,” Savage wrote. “We have worked through substantially all of the issues and expect to receive and sign a final draft with them tomorrow.”
Details of the agreement are not yet available.
Florida Blue spokeswoman Christie DeNave said via email that, Florida Blue and Sarasota Memorial are working diligently to strengthen our relationship with a new agreement that delivers on Florida Blue’s commitment to quality, affordable health care for our members.
SARASOTA – Florida Blue and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System are at a crossroads in contract negotiations that could ultimately result in Sarasota County’s public hospital and doctors affiliated with First Physicians Group becoming out-of-network providers.
Florida Blue sent letters to more than 15,000 members in the Sarasota-Manatee County area Tuesday, alerting them that their contract with Sarasota Memorial will technically end April 1.
On Wednesday, both sides indicated that the contract may be extended 90 days, through the end of June, based on what is currently, at least according to Sarasota Memorial, a verbal agreement.
Florida Blue spokeswoman Christie DeNave characterized negotiations as an ongoing discussion.