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Insurance Rate Dispute Between Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Oklahoma, OU Physicians Ends

OU Health

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma and OU Physicians have ended their rate dispute that could have caused thousands of Oklahomans looking for new doctors.

The feud has pitted the state’s largest health insurer against one of the state’s largest medical providers.

The two couldn’t meet in the middle on how much BCBS would pay OU doctors for their services. The fight got messier than similar ones in recent years, with messaging campaigns on both sides taking the dispute public. At one point, the two ended negotiations and began sending letters to patients, letting them know they might need to change providers.

The agreement was set to expire at the end of June.

However, on Wednesday morning, the two organizations issued a joint statement announcing a new contract. It will stave off negotiations for another year.

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Catherine Sweeney grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and attended Oklahoma State University. She has covered local, state and federal government for outlets in Oklahoma, Colorado and Washington, D.C.
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