Northeast Georgia Health System and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield have reached a two-year extension on their deal with the health system's facilities.
NGHS announced the deal Tuesday morning, saying the move will keep Anthem patients in-network with facilities including Northeast Georgia Medical Center's hospitals in Gainesville, Braselton, Barrow County, Habersham County and Lumpkin County. The deal also includes Northeast Georgia Physicians Group practices as well as Urgent Care and Georgia Heart Institute facilities and Laurelwood.
“We are pleased at the collaborative nature of the discussions and at the willingness of both parties to work together to ensure our patients have certainty about their access to services at NGHS,” Steve McNeilly, chief operating officer of population health and vice president of managed care operations for NGHS said. “Because of this new agreement, our community can confidently choose Anthem when they enter open enrollment this fall.”
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Georgia President Robert Bunch said he was pleased to reach the extension.
“We value our collaborative relationship with NGHS as we work together to tackle healthcare affordability and improve lives and communities for the Georgians we mutually serve," Bunch said.
NGHS and Anthem reached the initial agreement in January of 2020 after months of negotation that followed the prior deal expiring in September of 2019.
