The impasse between Blue Shield and Fresno’s Community Health System continues to drag on. For nearly three weeks, 12,000 enrollees have been unable to get in-network coverage.
Blue Shield claims Community terminated the contract, but the healthcare system states the insurance company did not grant another extension.
Among those caught in the middle are 5,000 city employees. City leaders say it is time to cut Blue Shield out of the process and, instead, negotiate directly.
Source: ABC30
As of February 1, 2026, Community Medical Centers’ facilities are out-of-network for Blue Shield of California members. This includes the following facilities:
Both sides have indicated that negotiations are continuing.
Sources: Blue Shield of California, Community Medical Centers
Montage Health and Anthem Blue Cross have reached a continuation of their agreement, ensuring Anthem patients in Monterey County can continue receiving in-network care at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and all Montage Health services, without interruption.
Source: Montage Health
Customers on commercial and employer-sponsored plans by Anthem will lose network access to the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP) on February 1, 2026, if an agreement cannot be reached with parent company Montage Health.
The action would not impact Medicare patients. Anthem members would also still have access to Montage providers outside of the hospital. Only CHOMP would be out-of-network.
Source: Monterey County Now
Cigna and Tenet Healthcare reached an agreement in their contract dispute, spokespersons confirmed on December 31.
“An agreement has been reached with Tenet Healthcare, their physicians and ambulatory surgery centers to continue providing in-network healthcare with no interruption in coverage for our customers,” a Cigna spokesperson told Becker’s. “Together we will continue improving the health and vitality of the people we both serve in the community through access to affordable care.”
A Tenet Healthcare spokesperson confirmed the agreement to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Sources: Becker’s Payer Issues, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via InsuranceNewsNet
As the countdown to New Year’s Eve shortens, Tenet Healthcare and Cigna remain at odds. The current contract expires on December 31, 2025.
This contract affects hospitals and facilities in eight states: Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. On their microsite for members, Tenet estimates that millions of patients in these states could be impacted.
While Cigna has not established a microsite for members, they did issue the following statement:
It’s disappointing that Tenet Healthcare is choosing to terminate our contract and spending untold amounts of dollars on expensive advertising to stoke fear among patients as a negotiating tactic. Unfortunately, Tenet is seeking contract terms that would inflate the cost of care unreasonably, making their hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers much more expensive for patients than other facilities.
If the contract expires, continuity of care provisions will apply.
Sources: Becker’s Payer Issues, Tenet Healthcare
Cedars-Sinai and Anthem Blue Cross have announced a new, multi-year provider network contract agreement. The new contract will remain in effect until December 31, 2029, and it replaces one that had been set to expire on December 31, 2025.
Source: Cedars-Sinai
Sutter Health and Blue Shield of California have agreed to expand their network relationship with a focus on improving health outcomes, enhancing patient experience and improving care for patients with chronic illness. The new multi-year agreement between the two leading healthcare organizations extends the current one that was set to expire at the end of this year.
Source: Blue Shield of California