BlueChoice, Roper come to agreement

BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina customers can continue to see doctors employed by Roper St. Francis Healthcare without disruption under a new agreement between the insurer and the medical provider.

The new contact ends December 2011, it was announced Thursday.

The agreement affects BlueChoice policyholders who see nearly 132 physicians based at 45 medical practices that Roper St. Francis owns across the region.

Without a new contract, those patients would either have to switch doctors or pay more out of pocket expenses if they wanted to stay with the Roper St, Francis-owned practices.

"We're pleased that Roper St. Francis will continue to be in our networks," said Ann Burnett, vice president of health network services for BlueChoice.

"We believe this agreement truly represents the best interests of patients, employers and the greater Charleston community," said Ellen Brown, vice president of managed care and business relations for Roper St. Francis.

Last month, BlueChoice said contract talks had broken down. At the time, Roper St. Francis and BlueChoice painted starkly different pictures of what was happening behind the scenes.

The insurer said Roper St. Francis was asking for an excessive increase in fees for its medical services. Roper St. Francis said it was seeking only the same level of compensation that BlueChoice pays other providers.

For more details, see Friday's editions of The Post and Courier.