Governor Deal issued a new statement this afternoon on the Blue Cross and Piedmont Healthcare dispute.
On Tuesday, Governor Deal announced that the state and the University System of Georgia will absorb all out-of-network claims for the next 30 days, for employees who need to see Piedmont providers. Deal said that he wanted to make sure all employees and their families had uninterrupted access to the care they need.
The contract between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia and Piedmont Healthcare expired at midnight on Saturday. With the expiration, all Piedmont doctors and hospitals are now considered out-of-network, resulting in higher costs for patients.
UGA President Jere Morehead also announced today that he had submitted a letter to the Presidents of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia and Piedmont Healthcare urging the two organizations to come to an agreement.
In his statement, Deal also pressed both Blue Cross and Piedmont to negotiate a new contract.