Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota — alongside Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic — has now allowed West Des Moines, Iowa-based MercyOne's Albert Lea (Wis.) Healthcare Coalition to join its in-network Medicare Advantage plan for 2023 enrollment, the Albert Lea Tribune reported Nov. 10.
The agreement comes after multiple attempts from the coalition over the years.
"For all the other types of insurance other than Medicare, MercyOne Albert Lea was in the network," Brad Arends, ALHC president, told the publication. "So after digging and digging, finally somebody from Blue Cross said, 'Here's the deal. We have a contract that we signed with Mayo several years ago that says that the network is primarily Mayo, and it will not include anybody else unless it's agreed upon by both Mayo and Blue Cross.'"
The contract was set to expire in 2023, meaning Medicare Advantage MercyOne patients would not be covered. The coalition formed as a means to negotiate with MercyOne, which had not been successful until now.