Blue Shield has informed UC Human Resources that it has reached agreement on a contract with Sutter Health effective Feb. 1, 2015. This means that Sutter-contracted hospitals and doctors will continue to be participating providers in the Blue Shield network.

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Blue Shield and Sutter terminated their contract on Dec. 31, 2014, leaving more than 200,000 Californians—including UC faculty and staff enrolled in UC Care, Blue Shield Health Savings Plan and Core—caught in the middle and uncertain about their future relationship with their Sutter doctors.

More information about the agreement is available here.

UC understands the importance of our employees’ relationships with their doctors and the uncertainty these negotiations have caused. Contracts between plans and providers expire and renew frequently — usually with little or no impact to employer or employees and retirees. This situation was clearly different, and UC shared its collective displeasure with the parties involved. To prevent surprises in the future, the benefits department and UC Care management are asking Blue Shield and other medical plan providers for more detailed information about the expiration dates of their contracts with care-provider networks, so that the university can anticipate the potential for any future impacts.