Keeping the Care Going: Blue Shield and UC Strike a Deal

Blue Shield of California and the University of California (UC) have just made a deal to keep patients connected to UC health services. This agreement, lasting three years, ensures that people with Blue Shield insurance won’t lose access to UC facilities. Recently, many people got new insurance cards with different doctors listed. This happened because Blue Shield and UC couldn’t agree on terms. Now, Blue Shield is fixing this by moving people back to their original UC doctors. This change will happen automatically on July 10, 2025, so patients don’t need to do anything. However, the deal isn’t fully finalized yet. Both sides are still working on paperwork and approvals. Additionally, UC mentioned they are still working with Blue Shield on issues like delayed payments for medical services. Blue Shield is a big deal for many state retirees. Around 35, 000 retirees use Blue Shield and get their care from UC health systems. This deal helps them keep their doctors and access to UC health services. While the situation seems resolved, both sides still have work to do. The deal is a good step, but it’s not the end of the story. They need to keep working together to make sure everything runs smoothly.