Kootenai Health patients to remain in-network to Regence BlueShield insurance under new agreement

After a monthlong impasse, Kootenai Health and Regence BlueShield have come to an agreement to keep North Idaho patients in-network.

Approximately 23,000 people with Regence insurance have received care at a Kootenai Health facility in the past 12 months and are affected by this agreement.

These patients were at risk of losing coverage on Jan. 1 if an agreement was not reached. Those covered by Regence BlueShield include all Idaho state employees enrolled in their state health plan.

“Throughout this process, our focus never wavered from what matters most – protecting health care access for the families and individuals who count on Kootenai Health,” said Kootenai Health CEO Jameson Smith. “We advocated strongly for an agreement that serves our patients and supports our ability to continue delivering exceptional care in this community. We’re grateful that we were able to reach common ground.”

At the heart of the negotiation was the rate for which Kootenai was reimbursed by Regence. Kootenai Health previously argued Regence’s reimbursement was lower than other comparable insurances. It is unclear what reimbursement rate was agreed to in the new deal.

The new agreement ensures continuous coverage with no gap. Regence-insured patients do not need to take any action to continue care at Kootenai Health.