St. Charles Health System and non-profit PacificSource announced Friday they have reached an agreement to make sure PacificSource Medicare Advantage plans will continue in Central Oregon through next year.
Last Month, St. Charles said it was re-evaluating it participation with Medicare Advantage plans. It cited concerns with patient care, access and affordability for all such plans, including those from Humana, PacificSource, HealthNet and WellCare.
PacificSource said Friday it worked with St. Charles to ensure coverage will continue for PacificSource Medicare Advantage members through 2024.
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“This agreement is a positive result for our region’s Medicare-eligible seniors, and also some of its most vulnerable community members,” Dr. John Espinola, PacificSource’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “PacificSource will continue to advocate for our members to make certain that they can continue to access affordable, high-quality healthcare in Central Oregon. We are pleased to have secured this successful outcome with St. Charles and will continue to work with them to improve the Medicare Advantage experience for their patients.”
St. Charles said both teams “agreed to focus on reducing administrative burdens for patients and health care workers” by prioritizing the following:
- Beginning in 2024, St. Charles Cancer Center patients will be able to receive care prescribed by their physicians without prior authorization from PacificSource.
- PacificSource and St. Charles will work together to ensure patients are able to be discharged from the hospital when they no longer need hospital-level care.
“We are excited to bring this agreement to our community and believe it addresses many of our concerns,” Dr. Mark Hallett, chief clinical officer for St. Charles, said in a statement. “We are grateful to PacificSource for working with us to identify creative solutions that we believe will benefit patients and health care providers throughout the region.”
