Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare Announce Contract Extension through 2020

Three-year agreement focuses on ongoing affordability of pediatric specialty services.

St. Paul and Eagan, Minn. (June 28, 2017) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) and Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare (Gillette) have agreed to a three-year contract extension, providing Blue Cross members with long-term access to Gillette's nationally recognized expertise in treating some of the most complex conditions in pediatric medicine.

The new agreement reflects a commitment by both organizations to make health care more affordable while creating new opportunities to collaborate and develop innovative approaches to improving the overall quality of care for patients and their families. The agreement applies to all Blue Cross members with either commercial coverage (through employer health plans and the Allina BluePrint ACO plan available for individual coverage) or enrollment in Minnesota health care program (Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare). All 20 Gillette locations – including the St. Paul hospital, six Twin Cities clinics and 13 Greater Minnesota clinics – are included in the broader Blue Cross provider network.

"We appreciate Gillette's commitment and collaboration to address the cost pressures that the State of Minnesota is experiencing with the Medicaid program, said Garrett Black, senior vice president of health services for Blue Cross. "Both Blue Cross and Gillette were in alignment that long-term stability required flexibility on both sides. In the end, we were aligned on what was best for our members and their patients."    

"Blue Cross applauds Gillette's willingness to be part of the efforts taking place both locally and nationally to hold the line on health care costs," said Black. "Being able to renew our contract ahead of schedule gives our members and their patients the peace of mind that comes with uninterrupted care and access to world-class surgeons, physicians and other specialists."

"We always strive to provide the best possible care for our patients and the community," said James Haddican, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare vice president of finance. "We're pleased that we were able to come up with a multiple-year agreement with Blue Cross, so our patients can focus on their care and not have to worry about medical coverage."

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

For more than 90 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (bluecrossmn.com) has supported the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of our members by striving to ensure equitable access to high quality care at an affordable price. We are on a mission to inspire change, transform care and improve health for the people and communities we serve by reinventing both ourselves and the broader system. Our more than 2.5 million members can be found in every Minnesota county, all 50 states and on four continents. As a proud nonprofit organization, we believe working to advance wellness for all Minnesotans is the greatest investment we can make. Our goal is nothing less than for everyone to be able to achieve their full health potential, regardless of race or other socially defined circumstances. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, which serves more than 107 million members across the U.S.

About Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare

Founded in 1897, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare was the first hospital in the nation for kids who have disabilities. Last year, nearly 25,000 families with children facing such complex medical conditions as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and traumatic brain injury, trusted Gillette to help their children thrive. Gillette tailors its care model specifically to the needs of its patient and family community so they can achieve their highest potential. Go to gillettechildrens.org to learn more.