This article is for hospitals and physicians caring for our members
To ease the strain on busy emergency rooms, Blue Cross will reimburse out-of-network urgent care centers in eastern Massachusetts* for medically necessary services provided to our members** this summer.
This change will be in effect from July 3 to October 1, 2024. This is intended to comply with the Healey/Driscoll Administration’s Memorandum dated June 26, 2024—90-day Urgent Care Strategy to Address Emergency Department Capacity.
Urgent care providers may not balance bill
During this period, urgent care centers in eastern Massachusetts may not balance bill Blue Cross patients for medically necessary urgent care services.
How we are educating our members
We’re educating members about where they can find urgent care if they need it this summer.
*Eastern Massachusetts is defined to include the following counties: Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket.
**Excludes Federal Employee Program members.
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