New arrangement to lower costs for members in need of air transport services
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee announced today that Memphis-based air transport provider Hospital Wing has joined its commercial provider networks.
Effective Jan. 1, the agreement provides BlueCross members with in-network access to medically necessary air transport services at agreed-upon rates. It also prevents members from being balance-billed for charges beyond those contracted rates.
BlueCross recently offered network contracts to air ambulance providers to address unreasonable cost increases in air transport for its members. Over 2,000 BlueCross members required air transport in 2016, and the company paid more than $50 million for those services.
“We negotiate savings like these to help slow the growth of premium increases and bring costs down for our customers,” said Larry Nall, BlueCross senior vice president of provider network management. “We are pleased that Hospital Wing supports our efforts to provide cost stability and savings for the members we serve in West Tennessee.”
“Hospital Wing is excited to join BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s provider network for air ambulance services. We believe that entering into this network agreement is a win for everyone involved, especially BlueCross members,” said Hospital Wing CEO John Butora. “Air medical transport by nature can be very expensive. Provider network agreements such as this one can significantly reduce the patient’s out of pocket responsibility and we are extremely happy to be a part of it.”
For more information about BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s air ambulance contracting efforts, visit BCBSTNews.com.
About Hospital Wing
Hospital Wing (Memphis Medical Center Air Ambulance Service, Inc.) has been committed for over 30 years to providing the highest level of care to the critically ill and injured for the Mid-South and surrounding regions. Hospital Wing is headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., and has five base locations throughout west Tennessee and the surrounding Mid-South Area. Their base locations are staffed 24/7, 365 days a year.
About BlueCross®
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s mission is to provide peace of mind through better health. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on serving more than 3.4 million members in Tennessee and across the country. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company’s website at bcbst.com.