HaysMed & BCBSKS Contract Negotiation Continues

HaysMed is deeply committed to bringing high-quality, compassionate care to the families and communities we serve. As the top provider of specialized care in western Kansas, we play an important role in making sure patients get the care they need – when and where they need it.

HaysMed and Pawnee Valley Community Hospital are currently negotiating our contracts with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS). These types of negotiations are normal and expected.

As advocates for our patients, we remain committed to reaching a fair agreement with BCBSKS that keeps your care close to home.

For now, nothing changes. Please continue to attend and schedule appointments as usual. However, if a new agreement is not reached by December 31, 2026, HaysMed and PVCH will become out-of-network for BCBSKS commercial members. This could mean you pay more for care or lose access to your doctor.

These negotiations come at a time when rural hospitals are facing significant financial challenges. In fact, 86% of Kansas hospitals, including HaysMed, are losing money when providing care. While healthcare costs continue to rise, HaysMed remains the only healthcare provider in western Kansas with specialists available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide cancer treatment, higher-level trauma care, heart care, treatment for serious lung conditions, and many other specialized services patients depend on. We have done our part to lower the cost of care by moving hundreds of procedures to lower-cost outpatient settings and investing in advanced technology that improves patient outcomes while reducing costs. But those efforts alone are not enough.

As the largest health insurance company in the state, BCBSKS has a responsibility to fairly reimburse the hospitals that care for our communities so we can continue providing the essential services patients rely on.

We know keeping access to HaysMed and Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH) is important to you and our communities across western Kansas. Your voice can make a difference. We encourage you to:

• Call BCBSKS at  1-800-432-3990 or the number on the back of your insurance card and tell them how important it is to you to keep us in-network.
• Ask BCBSKS about your eligibility for continuity of care, which may allow you to continue seeing your HaysMed and PVCH providers for a period of time.
• If you receive insurance through your employer, talk to them. Tell your Human Resources leader that you expect access to the HaysMed and PVCH providers that you know and trust.