CHI St. Vincent is no longer a part of the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield system, the health insurer announced Tuesday morning.
CHI St. Vincent is part of the Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health system, which operates 2,200 facilities in 24 states. For the past several months, officials from Arkansas Blue Cross and CHI St. Vincent had been in negotiations, but the latter rejected a number of proposals, ultimately opting to leave the network. Impacted health plans are Arkansas Blue Medicare, BlueAdvantage Administrators of Arkansas, the Federal Employees Program, Health Advantage, Octave Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Skai Blue Cross and Blue Shield. CHI St. Vincent will not be a part of these plans effective September 1. Medi-Pak® Medicare supplement coverage is not affected.
In Arkansas, the move affects four hospitals — CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock, CHI St. Vincent North in Sherwood, CHI St. Vincent Morrilton and CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs — as well as 80 medical clinics, more than 300 employed healthcare providers and a number of other providers who are affiliated with CHI St. Vincent.
“While we are disappointed by CHI St. Vincent and CommonSpirit Health’s decision to withdraw from our provider networks, we wish them well and greatly appreciate the care CHI St. Vincent’s providers, facilities and staff have delivered to our members throughout our company’s entire 77-year history,” said Alicia Berkemeyer, executive vice president and chief health management officer for Arkansas Blue Cross. “We are committed to exploring approaches that ensure our members receive high-quality care that is also cost-efficient, and we have communicated to CHI St. Vincent and CommonSpirit Health that if their focus or circumstances should change in the future, they have an open invitation to rejoin us in this work.”
According to a press release, claims that have dates of service of Aug. 31, 2026, or earlier will continue to be reimbursed at in-network rates and claims for services provided to members of any of the affected health plans on or after Sept. 1, 2026, will be processed at the out-of-network benefit levels — costing affected members more out of pocket — defined in the member’s health plan coverage documents if they are performed by:
- CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health facilities
- Healthcare providers employed by CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health
- Affiliated providers who have also chosen to leave the network
Many members may be responsible for 100 percent of the billed cost of services performed by CHI St. Vincent. In-network healthcare providers who have admitting privileges to CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health-owned facilities but who are not employed by CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health and who have not withdrawn from ABCBS networks will not be affected, the release stated.
Prescriptions written by providers who are employed by CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health and are filled at in-network pharmacies will not be affected.
READ ALSO: AEDC Launches Third Round of Arkansas Site Development Program
