A message from the people
who work for you at
Mercy ahd Memorial hospitals
As of today September 1 Mercy
and Memorial hospitals are no longer
participating in reimbursement
contracts with Blue Cross/Blue Shield
of Michigan.
We realize this change naturally raises
questions about what it may mean to
you your family and your community.
Above all we want to reassure you that
no one in need of emergency medical
care will be turned away from our
hospitals.
All Blue Cross subscribers - along with
all individuals in the community in need
of health care - continue to be welcome
at Mercy and Memorial hospitals.
How thi may affect you
You may be directly affected only if you
are a Blue Cross/Blue Shield subscriber.
Most Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michi­
gan policies limit benefit payments for .
services at hospitals that do not partici­
pa e in Blue Cross contracts. Benefit
limits do not affect Blue Cross Supple­
mental Medicare coverage for persons
65 and over.
If you are a Blue Cross subscriber you
should contact your Blue Cross/Blue
Shield of Michigan representative to
determine when your benefits payment
limits will be imposed and what those
benefit limits will be.
.We will still submit your claim to Blue
CrosslBlue Shield of Michigan for you.
But Blue Cross will pay insurance
benefits directty to you.
You will still be responsible for the lull
amount of your hospital bill whether or
not Blue Cross chooses to reimburse
you for the full amount This is the
I '
same policy that applies to all patients
covered by other insurance programs.
This change will OT affect
p tien who have:
• Blue Cross Supplemental Medicare
coverage for persons 65 and over
• hospitalization coverage through any
insurer other than Blue Cross/Blue
Shield of Michigan
• Medicare or Medicaid coverage
Blue Shield coverage for doctor bills is
not affected. And we have no plans to
change our relationship with any other
insurance company.
How this affects your
community
For months, we have studied the possi­
ble effects of this decision. On patients.
Employers. Union members. Physi­
cians and other health professionals.
Our hospitals. And the entire
community.
We found that our former participation
with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michi­
gan conflicted with our commitments to
cost-containment, quality health care
and fairness in the way we charge and
collect for hospital services.
Under our previous contracts Blue
Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan paid us
less than we are paid by other insurers
for the same services. And we could not
bill Blue Cross patients for the
difference.
In effect, this amounted to a discount .
to Blue Cross at the expense of your
hospitals ... and your community.
In the past five years Blue Cross/Blue
Shield of Michigan paymen to Mercy
and Memorial were 1.4 million less
than your hospitals otherwise would.
have received for services to Blue Cross
subscribers.
AU . 1 - SEPT. 6, 1983 THE CITIZE
PAGES
. .
: .
• I • , �
. ,
�
,_
Only about 10 0 of Mercy and Memorial
patients have Blue Cross coverage. 0
longer win the majority of our patients
who carry health insurance have to
subsidize an insurance program that
benefits only one group of patients.
i i
Ask Us Question
We know you may have questions
so we have an insurance information
HOTLI E. Call 983-0999 for
answers to your questions.about insur­
ance coverage. You may reach us
Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m.
to noon and 1-5 p.m.
•
I • •
I •
� .
•
. Our Basic PhilOsophy of
Service is Unchanged
Our hospitals exist to serve the needs
of all patients in our community. This is
our basic philosophy of service and it
remains unchanged.
· ..
.
•
t •
,
, t ;
t :
· .'
· �
·
· .
,
,
t .
Questions? Cal' our !nsuro�ce In/onnation Ho�ine -: 983-