Maryland Congressional Delegation Members Urge Hopkins, CareFirst to Reach Contract Agreement to Protect Marylanders’ Health Care Access | U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland

October 20, 2022

Right now, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie B. Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) despatched a letter to Johns Hopkins Drugs CEO Ted DeWeese and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield President & CEO Brian Pieninck urging the 2 events to succeed in a contract decision earlier than the upcoming medical health insurance enrollment deadline to make sure a whole lot of hundreds of Marylanders don’t threat dropping entry to their present care.

“We write to specific our concern concerning the standing of the contract negotiations between Johns Hopkins Drugs (Hopkins) and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) that threaten lots of our constituents’ entry to high-quality, reasonably priced well being care in Maryland. We’re conscious that if an settlement just isn’t reached by December 5, 2022, many Marylanders might want to discover new suppliers or change to a brand new medical health insurance plan to be able to proceed accessing the care they want. Thus, we strongly urge Hopkins and CareFirst to work collaboratively to succeed in a contract decision forward of the December deadline,” the lawmakers wrote.

“We urge each Hopkins and CareFirst to work collaboratively and earnestly to succeed in a good contract decision forward of the December 5, 2022 deadline that places sufferers first, retains avenues to high tier care open to all that depend on them, and limits the affect on value of care to sufferers,” they concluded.

Full textual content of the letter will be considered right here and under.

Pricey Mr. DeWeese and Mr. Pieninck:

We write to specific our concern concerning the standing of the contract negotiations between Johns Hopkins Drugs (Hopkins) and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) that threaten lots of our constituents’ entry to high-quality, reasonably priced well being care in Maryland. We’re conscious that if an settlement just isn’t reached by December 5, 2022, many Marylanders might want to discover new suppliers or change to a brand new medical health insurance plan to be able to proceed accessing the care they want. Thus, we strongly urge Hopkins and CareFirst to work collaboratively to succeed in a contract decision forward of the December deadline.

As you already know, this negotiation course of is going on throughout open enrollment season, a vital decision-making time for sufferers and households as they take into account which well being plans will work finest for them and their family members within the coming 12 months. Whereas CareFirst members have been suggested that this is not going to instantly affect anybody’s entry to healthcare companies provided by way of Hopkins, ongoing negotiation phrases for the supplier charges proceed to extend uncertainty round protection of major care and specialty companies, surgical procedure facilities, hospital in-network standing, and the affect on the price of look after sufferers. If CareFirst and Hopkins don’t come to an settlement, practically 40,000 suppliers employed by Hopkins will probably be out-of-network, together with suppliers on the Johns Hopkins flagship hospital, Bayview Medical Heart in Baltimore, Howard County Normal Hospital in Columbia, Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, and Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington. We proceed to listen to from lots of our constituents with considerations {that a} breakdown in negotiations between Hopkins and CareFirst would drastically impede their entry to major and specialty care shifting ahead.

We consider Hopkins and CareFirst are dedicated to reaching a decision that finest serves sufferers throughout our communities in Maryland and surrounding areas that additionally depend on this collaborative care system between Hopkins and CareFirst. We applaud the continuing, good-faith negotiations and stay hopeful that each organizations will discover a resolution earlier than the December deadline. This decision is important for the well being of our constituents in Maryland, and sufferers that depend on specialty care throughout the Mid-Atlantic area.

We urge each Hopkins and CareFirst to work collaboratively and earnestly to succeed in a good contract decision forward of the December 5, 2022 deadline that places sufferers first, retains avenues to high tier care open to all that depend on them, and limits the affect on value of care to sufferers.

Thanks in your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,