Sutter, Blue Cross Agree to New Contract

The huge Sutter Health network in Northern California and Blue Cross of California said they agreed to a new contract that will allow Blue Cross members to continue to have access to Sutter’s doctors and hospitals. Sacramento-based Sutter, which operates 26 hospitals and six doctor groups, had let its Blue Cross contract expire on Dec. 31. Sutter wanted Blue Cross to increase the fees it pays the provider for hospital stays and to change rules for analyzing claims. The multiyear agreement, retroactive to Jan. 1, reinstates about 50,000 Blue Cross patients’ access to Sutter’s hospitals and physicians.