By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Hays Medical Center has yet to reach an agreement for a new contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield.
As many western Kansas residents face open enrollment, they are sharing opinions about the negotiations.
If HaysMed does not reach an agreement with BCBS, patients are divided on their next steps.
Because patients will face higher costs to use HaysMed services if the hospital is out of network, some current patients said they will use another hospital or switch doctors to stay in network.
Betty Ehrlich Funk said she and her husband have no choice but to switch providers.
“If Hays Medical isn't in network with BCBS, we will have to go elsewhere. My husband is diabetic and was told he can't switch insurance companies. If he can't use HaysMed, then I won't either.”
Nicole Mattheyer said if HaysMed is no longer in-network, she will have to leave her current specialty provider.
“Our BCBS is too good through an employer to drop. I’m just thankful that mostly all of our needs are met in our smaller local hospital,” she said.
Amy Linenberger said she has no choice but to stay with BCBS insurance.
“It's a sad day for Hays residents who could need to travel outside of Hays for medical care. All the hype for years about HaysMed and great care, heart wing etc … for this to potentially happen,” she said. “A potential upsetting loss … I guess we could add it to the list of what we already travel out of town now for.”
Debbie Reed lives in Goodland but is using HaysMed for hospital services through her BCBS Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO).
With an EPO plan, individuals must receive health care services from a pre-approved network of providers.
“With an EPO, you must stay within your state for coverage, and HaysMed is the closest to us as we can not use Denver,” she said.
“My BCBS just sent me a notice that my premium is going to $2,184 a month in January for a policy that covers just me. Ridiculously high!
“If HaysMed and BCBS cannot come to an agreement, it will cost people with BCBS a substantial amount to use HaysMed with no provider write-off,” Reed said. “They need to come to some type of agreement. Health insurance has become a real problem with very high costs.”
Clarissa Schneider said she will also have to change providers
“If BCBS will be out of network, my whole family will find care elsewhere,” she said. “Sad, because I do enjoy our providers at HMC.”
Other patients said they were making difficult decisions about changing their insurance.
“We have only had Blue Cross our entire life. HaysMed has served us well. However, now we have to make a decision too,” Arlene Stramel said.
“Traveling out of town to meet our needs will be more difficult as we are aging and travel options will become more difficult.
“I too thought Hays Med was supposed to be a great option for NW Kansas,” she said. “What about all the counties that depend on services that were provided in the past? What a shame. I believe HaysMed is going backward and that explains why we cannot keep good doctors.”
Kiley Wheeles said her family decided to drop BCBS so they could keep HaysMed in-network.
“As a result, our deductible through Aetna will increase by about $3,000,” she said.
Dana Stenzel said she is also considering changing insurance providers.
“… with Blue Cross Blue Shield getting way too expensive and if they refuse to work something out with HaysMed, [that] would be the last straw,” she said.
Terri Cornwell Szendrodi said HaysMed is not the problem.
“Blue Cross Blue Shield is. They just don't want to reimburse rural hospitals like they do the hospitals in the cities, which is really sad for the patients. And Blue Cross Blue Shield doesn't care,” Szendrodi said.