Latest news with #BlueShieldofCalifornia
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
UC Health, Blue Shield contract dispute could disrupt care for thousands in California
Thousands of Californians who get medical care at UC Health through Blue Shield of California — including many in the Bay Area who go to UCSF and One Medical, a UCSF affiliate — may need to find a different health insurer or pay out-of-network rates for services if the parties cannot reach a new contract by July 10. UC Health and Blue Shield, two of California's largest health care industry players, are renegotiating contracts to establish how much Blue Shield will reimburse for services provided by UC Health hospitals, clinics and other facilities. One Medical is an affiliate of UCSF Health, one of the six UC Health academic health centers. In the Bay Area, this could impact residents insured by Blue Shield who get care at UCSF Medical Center, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland, UCSF Medical Group and UCSF Benioff Children's Physicians, UCSF said in a notification posted online this month. It includes people on CalPERS plans, employer plans, Covered California plans and Medicare plans (including Medicare Advantage) offered or administered by Blue Shield. The dispute could also affect people insured by Blue Shield who are members of the popular primary care provider One Medical, which is an affiliate of UCSF. Services will remain in-network through July 9. UCSF Health community hospitals at Saint Francis and St. Mary's are not affected by the negotiations and will remain in-network. Neither UC Health nor Blue Shield would specify how many of its patients or members could be affected. But it's at least in the tens of thousands, as this potential contract termination would impact about 35,000 CalPERS members who have Blue Shield plans and receive care from UC Health, according to CalPERS. Contract negotiations between health care providers and insurers are common and often involve disagreements over reimbursement rates. Last year, UC Health and Anthem Blue Cross, another major insurer in the state, similarly had a dispute over contract renegotiations that lasted months. It eventually resulted in the two parties reaching a new contract. 'UC Health continues to do our part to negotiate with Blue Shield in hopes of reaching a new, fair agreement to preserve in-network access to UC Health locations without interruptions for Blue Shield of California members,' the UC Office of the President said in a statement. 'Despite months of negotiations, the University of California Health system administrators have decided to end its contract with Blue Shield of California on July 10, 2025, unless a new agreement is reached with higher reimbursement rates,' Blue Shield of California said in a statement. 'It is our desire to reach an agreement that ensures members continue to have access to UC Health hospitals and providers at reasonable costs that are sustainably affordable for our customers. We will continue to negotiate with UC Health system administrators in good faith.' One Medical declined to comment. The provider recently sent members a notice saying it was informed by UCSF that unless an agreement is reached between Blue Shield and UC, One Medical providers in the Bay Area will no longer be in-network with Blue Shield of California as of July 10.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Zocdoc Teams Up with Blue Shield of California to Simplify the Appointment Scheduling Experience for its Members
Company announces first-of-its-kind collaboration to power seamless in-network scheduling within a health plan's provider directory NEW YORK, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zocdoc today announced a new collaboration with Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health plan, to help its members seamlessly schedule in-network, in-person and virtual care appointments through the plan's Find a doctor tool in the member portal. Blue Shield members can now see providers' real-time availability and easily access more than 1 million hours of bookable appointments available over a 90-day window. This marks the first time Zocdoc is working with a health plan to power scheduling for its online member portal. It builds on the company's expansion beyond its marketplace as it already powers scheduling on providers' websites, Google Business Profiles and practices' phone lines via its new AI phone assistant, Zo. Underlying this collaboration is nearly two decades of Zocdoc's expertise in facilitating patient-provider interactions, understanding complex healthcare scheduling logic, and integrating with a broad base of EHRs. No other company in healthcare has the depth of experience, infrastructure, and intellectual property when it comes to seamless online scheduling across a large, diverse, decentralized provider network. 'We know that patients rely on their health plans to find quality, in-network care, and we are proud to partner with Blue Shield of California to power a seamless experience that helps their members access the right providers for their needs,' said Oliver Kharraz, MD, Zocdoc founder and CEO. 'This collaboration—a first of its kind for Zocdoc—is symbolic of our expansion beyond our marketplace; we are leveraging nearly 20 years of scheduling expertise to help patients easily book appointments wherever they are seeking care, to help providers connect with patients across more channels, and to help payors modernize their members' access experience and care coordination.' The collaboration is a part of Blue Shield's effort to create high-quality, seamless experiences for members; it enables 24/7 appointment scheduling for members seeking care from Blue Shield's network of primary care, specialist, vision, dental, mental and behavioral health providers who are also in Zocdoc's bookable provider network. Across all types of care, outdated scheduling systems have become a barrier to healthcare access. According to a Zocdoc-commissioned survey conducted earlier this year, more than half of patients who were unable to reach their doctor by phone admitted to delaying care (54%), while one in three admitted to giving up on scheduling a visit entirely (33%). Digital tools can help address these barriers. 'As we continue to address healthcare access issues, making it easier and faster for our members to get connected to in-network care is absolutely essential,' said Jigar Shah, chief marketing and strategy officer at Blue Shield of California. 'To make healthcare worthy of our family and friends, we must deliver best-in-class member experiences, and Blue Shield is leveraging digital tools to do exactly that. We are proud to work with Zocdoc on an important part of our strategy to improve access to care.' Appointments are now available for members across all Blue Shield of California employer-sponsored plans, Individual and Family Plans, and Medicare plans. Blue Shield and Zocdoc will continue to add more in-network provider schedules for members to book quickly and seamlessly. Blue Shield's in-network providers who are interested in adding appointments to the system can visit this site for more information. There is no cost to providers to participate, and set-up is a simple, one-time activation. Zocdoc has built more than 175 calendar integrations with commonly used healthcare scheduling systems. About Zocdoc Zocdoc is the leading healthcare marketplace that aims to help every patient find and book every type of care. Each month, millions of patients visit or use the Zocdoc app to find quality, in-network doctors, see their real-time availability, and instantly book appointments for in-person or virtual care. Zocdoc doesn't just make healthcare easier, it also accelerates patients' access to care with the typical appointment happening within 24 to 72 hours of booking. While Zocdoc's mission is to give power to the patient, the company supports healthcare providers, too. Doctors across every state, specialty and segment — from solo practitioners to large hospitals and health systems — rely on Zocdoc to grow their practice, at every stage. With Zocdoc, they can reach new patients where they're seeking care, save staff time with tools that integrate into their practice software, and delight their patients through great experiences that keep them coming back. Overall, Zocdoc delivers the seamless, modern healthcare experience patients deserve. About Blue Shield of California Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. The health plan is a taxpaying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with 6 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $27 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $60 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit Or follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook. CONTACT: Zocdoc PR Team, 19293499190, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Zocdoc, Inc.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Zocdoc Teams Up with Blue Shield of California to Simplify the Appointment Scheduling Experience for its Members
Company announces first-of-its-kind collaboration to power seamless in-network scheduling within a health plan's provider directory NEW YORK, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zocdoc today announced a new collaboration with Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health plan, to help its members seamlessly schedule in-network, in-person and virtual care appointments through the plan's Find a doctor tool in the member portal. Blue Shield members can now see providers' real-time availability and easily access more than 1 million hours of bookable appointments available over a 90-day window. This marks the first time Zocdoc is working with a health plan to power scheduling for its online member portal. It builds on the company's expansion beyond its marketplace as it already powers scheduling on providers' websites, Google Business Profiles and practices' phone lines via its new AI phone assistant, Zo. Underlying this collaboration is nearly two decades of Zocdoc's expertise in facilitating patient-provider interactions, understanding complex healthcare scheduling logic, and integrating with a broad base of EHRs. No other company in healthcare has the depth of experience, infrastructure, and intellectual property when it comes to seamless online scheduling across a large, diverse, decentralized provider network. "We know that patients rely on their health plans to find quality, in-network care, and we are proud to partner with Blue Shield of California to power a seamless experience that helps their members access the right providers for their needs," said Oliver Kharraz, MD, Zocdoc founder and CEO. "This collaboration—a first of its kind for Zocdoc—is symbolic of our expansion beyond our marketplace; we are leveraging nearly 20 years of scheduling expertise to help patients easily book appointments wherever they are seeking care, to help providers connect with patients across more channels, and to help payors modernize their members' access experience and care coordination." The collaboration is a part of Blue Shield's effort to create high-quality, seamless experiences for members; it enables 24/7 appointment scheduling for members seeking care from Blue Shield's network of primary care, specialist, vision, dental, mental and behavioral health providers who are also in Zocdoc's bookable provider network. Across all types of care, outdated scheduling systems have become a barrier to healthcare access. According to a Zocdoc-commissioned survey conducted earlier this year, more than half of patients who were unable to reach their doctor by phone admitted to delaying care (54%), while one in three admitted to giving up on scheduling a visit entirely (33%). Digital tools can help address these barriers. "As we continue to address healthcare access issues, making it easier and faster for our members to get connected to in-network care is absolutely essential," said Jigar Shah, chief marketing and strategy officer at Blue Shield of California. "To make healthcare worthy of our family and friends, we must deliver best-in-class member experiences, and Blue Shield is leveraging digital tools to do exactly that. We are proud to work with Zocdoc on an important part of our strategy to improve access to care." Appointments are now available for members across all Blue Shield of California employer-sponsored plans, Individual and Family Plans, and Medicare plans. Blue Shield and Zocdoc will continue to add more in-network provider schedules for members to book quickly and seamlessly. Blue Shield's in-network providers who are interested in adding appointments to the system can visit this site for more information. There is no cost to providers to participate, and set-up is a simple, one-time activation. Zocdoc has built more than 175 calendar integrations with commonly used healthcare scheduling systems. About ZocdocZocdoc is the leading healthcare marketplace that aims to help every patient find and book every type of care. Each month, millions of patients visit or use the Zocdoc app to find quality, in-network doctors, see their real-time availability, and instantly book appointments for in-person or virtual care. Zocdoc doesn't just make healthcare easier, it also accelerates patients' access to care with the typical appointment happening within 24 to 72 hours of booking. While Zocdoc's mission is to give power to the patient, the company supports healthcare providers, too. Doctors across every state, specialty and segment — from solo practitioners to large hospitals and health systems — rely on Zocdoc to grow their practice, at every stage. With Zocdoc, they can reach new patients where they're seeking care, save staff time with tools that integrate into their practice software, and delight their patients through great experiences that keep them coming back. Overall, Zocdoc delivers the seamless, modern healthcare experience patients deserve. About Blue Shield of CaliforniaBlue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. The health plan is a taxpaying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with 6 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $27 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $60 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit Or follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook. CONTACT: Zocdoc PR Team, 19293499190, zocdoc@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Zocdoc, Inc. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Civic 50 Award Honors Blue Shield of California as One of the Most Community-Minded Companies in the Nation
Nonprofit health plan recognized for its commitment to "Stand for What's Right" for third consecutive year. OAKLAND, Calif., June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California has been named a 2025 honoree of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world's largest organization dedicated to increasing volunteering. For more than a decade, The Civic 50 award has served as the national standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how leading companies are moving social impact and community to the core of their business. "Living our mission and building a healthier California requires us to be present in our communities and show up as a positive force," said Mike Stuart, interim president and CEO, Blue Shield of California. "This recognition is a testament to the passion and commitment of our employees and how we come together to make a positive difference for our members, communities and planet. We are very proud to be recognized again by The Civic 50 for our strong culture of philanthropy and our dedication to living out our mission." The Civic 50 honorees are top community-minded companies in the United States with annual revenues of at least $1 billion. Honorees are selected through an annual survey that evaluates the scale, sophistication and impact of their employee volunteering, community engagement and corporate philanthropy work. Blue Shield is one of California's largest health plans with more than 7,500 employees, serving 6 million members. Blue Shield is a nonprofit health plan that voluntarily caps its income at 2% of revenue, returning the difference back to customers and California communities. "In an ever-evolving landscape, companies are looking to ensure that they can meet the needs of their communities, customers and stakeholders," said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, Points of Light. "Companies like Blue Shield of California are leading the way in showing how social impact benefits their employees' well-being, strengthens the communities where they do business, and brings value and meaning to their work. Their efforts provide a model for others looking to bring the benefits of volunteering and social impact to their workforce and they're extremely deserving of this recognition." An honoree in 2021, 2023 and 2024, Blue Shield was recognized this year for a variety of programs including: Record-breaking employee volunteerism and givingNearly every employee (99%) gave back in 2024, volunteering more than 68,000 hours and donating over $1.6 million (including company match) to more than 2,600 nonprofit organizations. The company facilitated more than 375 volunteer events, ranging from home repairs and tree plantings, to fundraising for therapy animal programs and diabetes prevention. Investing in communitiesIn 2024, the health plan contributed $20 million to its Blue Shield of California Foundation, which supported 99 grants to organizations that are working to make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence. In addition, Blue Shield invested $7.2 million in California nonprofits that are advancing mental health, environmental sustainability and the future healthcare workforce. Expanding access to youth mental health supportBlueSky, Blue Shield's youth mental health initiative, celebrated its 5-year anniversary last year. The initiative invests in best-in-class nonprofit organizations and programs that promote emotional well-being for young people across California. To date, BlueSky has supported over 20,000 youth and educators through therapy, training and youth advocacy programs. Driving environmental actionBlue Shield is leading the health plan industry in addressing the intersection of climate and health. Committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Blue Shield has also expanded efforts to address emissions across its supply chain. At the same time, Blue Shield continued to invest in nonprofit groups focused on environmental justice, while empowering employees and members to take part in sustainability efforts. In 2024, 71% of eligible members chose paperless communications, saving the equivalent of over 20,000 trees annually. The Civic 50 survey is administered by True Impact, and the results are analyzed by VeraWorks. The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform the scoring process. The Civic 50 is the only survey and ranking system that exclusively measures corporate community engagement. For more on The Civic 50, visit Read more about Blue Shield of California's citizenship efforts at or visit the "Standing for What's Right" section of our 2024 Mission Report. About Blue Shield of CaliforniaBlue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. The health plan is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with nearly 6 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $25 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $60 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit Or follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook. About Points of LightPoints of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips, and mobilizes millions of people to take action that creates a positive impact through volunteering and civic engagement. Through partnerships with nonprofits, companies and social impact leaders, the organization galvanizes volunteers to meet critical needs for healthier and more resilient communities. As the world's largest organization dedicated to increasing volunteer service, Points of Light engages more than 3.8 million volunteers across 32 countries. For more information, visit CONTACT: Mark SeeligBlue Shield of California 510-607-2359 media@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Blue Shield of California Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Blue Shield of California Expands Digital Health Record to Improve Quality, Affordability and Experience for Members
Nonprofit health plan taps Cozeva to securely integrate relevant health data from top provider organizations, simplifying care coordination for over 1.5 million members OAKLAND, Calif., May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California is expanding its Digital Health Record to include Cozeva, a provider-approved technology platform that streamlines secure data flow between the nonprofit health plan and providers using electronic medical records (EMR) for over 1.5 million Blue Shield members. Accurate and timely sharing of health information – lab results, diagnoses, procedures and medications – supports better health outcomes, as members and providers experience improved coordination of care, clinical quality and overall ease in navigating the healthcare system. With the addition of Cozeva, more than 50% of Blue Shield's provider network can now exchange data digitally to better meet the needs of members. "Every Californian should be confident that their provider has a full, current view of their health," said Deneen Vojta, M.D., executive vice president of Health Solutions at Blue Shield of California. "That's not yet the reality, but the California Data Exchange Framework is pushing the industry in the right direction by holding organizations accountable. Blue Shield of California is leading the way, partnering with Cozeva to modernize clinical workflows and enable real-time, data-driven collaboration with providers. We're not just supporting better outcomes for our members—we're setting a new standard for connected, high-quality care." Through the collaboration, Blue Shield's network providers are positioned to improve clinical quality performance by ensuring members are getting the right care at the right time. This data exchange helps identify members who need preventive care, including immunizations, standard tests, and annual screenings, which lead to better long-term health – reducing unnecessary healthcare costs for members. Blue Shield's Digital Health Record also supports providers and their healthcare teams to better coordinate each member's care needs, especially when they need to transition from one facility to another. "Data is key, but acting on that data will drive better care," said Ravi Kavasery, M.D., senior vice president, chief medical officer for Blue Shield of California. "Our data-sharing efforts make it easier to collaborate with our network providers to safely make the right care decisions with more speed and efficiency. Gaining a complete and clear picture of our member's care is a foundational step in ensuring each member gets the access and quality care they deserve." "In my own medical practice, having timely access to data helps me ensure each patient receives the equitable, quality care they deserve," Kavasery added. As an innovator in data integration, Cozeva is trusted by over 84 health plans and care delivery organizations nationwide. In addition, Cozeva is preferred by Blue Shield's network of providers and is embedded in many EMR tools, streamlining the workflow for providers and offering point-of-care data that supports both the member and provider. "As a leading health plan, Blue Shield of California is enriching their member records and driving innovative quality improvement strategies, and we are excited to support those efforts," said Nikki Asao, chief growth and value officer for Cozeva. "This collaboration is a testament to Blue Shield of California's commitment to improving equity outcomes for their members through effective data sharing across the continuum of care." About Cozeva, an Applied Research Works, Inc. CompanyCozeva is a comprehensive value-based care enablement technology and one-stop-shop population health solution, delivering real-time data integration and enabling its customers' quality, equity and risk programs to work seamlessly on a single, unified platform. The company is an NCQA-certified HEDIS® vendor, NCQA-certified Validated Data Stream (through NCQA's Data Aggregator ValidationSM program), ONC-certified Health Information Technology, Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO), and HITRUST-certified solution. Cozeva was awarded the 2025 Best in KLAS award for Payer Quality Measurement & Reporting. For more information about Cozeva, please visit About Blue Shield of CaliforniaBlue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. The health plan is a taxpaying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with nearly 6 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $25 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $60 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit Or follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook. CONTACT: Claire BakiBlue Shield of California 510-607-2359media@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Blue Shield of California
