Premera Blue Cross, EvergreenHealth Reach New Multi-Year Agreement
Mountlake Terrace and Kirkland, Wash. — (March 29, 2023) — Premera Blue Cross and EvergreenHealth today announced they’ve reached a new multi-year agreement. The new contract allows members across all Premera lines of business, including commercial, individual and Medicare Advantage, to retain in-network access at EvergreenHealth, which has facilities throughout King and Snohomish counties.
Premera and EvergreenHealth began negotiations with the goal of reaching an agreement that provides Premera-insured patients with access to affordable, quality healthcare. This agreement ensures there is no disruption for Premera members who receive care at EvergreenHealth.
“This new agreement allows our members to have peace mind when they seek care at EvergreenHealth,” said Lee McGrath, Executive Vice President of Healthcare Services, Premera Blue Cross. “We are thankful for our customers’ patience as Premera worked diligently with EvergreenHealth on our shared vision of providing access to affordable, high quality care.”
The new contract represents collaboration between the two organizations that provides stability and access to affordable care. It also focuses on improving the patient experience through value-based reimbursements. The goal of value-based care is to improve the quality of care provided to patients and bring more value to everyone involved in the total cost of healthcare.
This goal is met by balancing quality, cost, and patient experience.
“As a public hospital district, EvergreenHealth is community-owned, which means sustaining an independent healthcare system that provides equitable access to high quality, high value care – and preserving the viability of vital healthcare services for our community remains at the forefront of all we do,” said Jeff Tomlin, MD, CEO, EvergreenHealth. “We are grateful for our partners at Premera for working with us so that we may continue to provide care to those who have trusted us with their healthcare needs.”
About Premera Blue Cross
Premera Blue Cross, a not-for-profit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association based in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., is a leading health plan in the Pacific Northwest, providing comprehensive health benefits and tailored services to more than 2.75 million people, from individuals to Fortune 100 companies. For more information, visit www.premera.com.
About EvergreenHealth
EvergreenHealth is an integrated health care system serving nearly one million residents in King and Snohomish counties with a breadth of services and programs that are among the most comprehensive in the region. Formed as a public hospital district in 1972, EvergreenHealth includes a 318-bed acute care medical center in Kirkland and a 72-bed hospital, EvergreenHealth Monroe, which is an accredited, full-service public hospital district established in 1960 in Monroe, Washington. The system also includes a network of 12 primary care practices, six urgent care centers, more than two dozen specialty care practices, extensive home care and hospice services, and 24/7 emergency care from its Kirkland, Monroe and Redmond locations.
EvergreenHealth remains committed to its purpose to enrich the health and well-being of the community by providing clinical excellence in more than 80 specialties and through extensive community health outreach and education programs, anchored by the 24/7 EvergreenHealth Nurse Navigator & Healthline.
The health system is consistently named as one of Healthgrades America's 100 Best Hospitals and it is one of only 407 hospitals nationwide to hold a 5-Star Overall Rating from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS).
Media contacts
For Premera Blue Cross
Courtney Wallace
Phone: 425-381-8470
Email: Courtney.Wallace@premera.com
For EvergreenHealth
Kayse Dahl
Phone: 425-899-1855
Email: KLDahl@evergreenhealthcare.org