CHI St Vincent Doctors urge Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas to put patients over profits
Physicians say their patients face a lack of access and higher costs as the insurer continues to refuse to negotiate
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Many CHI St. Vincent physicians are expressing concern that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas has removed member access to critically important specialty care, and that patient outcomes may be impacted as a result.
After more than a year of negotiations, Blue Cross Blue Shield walked away from the table Sept. 1, effectively forcing CHI St. Vincent providers and care sites out of network. As a result, thousands of patients with Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance have lost access to specialty care available only through CHI St. Vincent, which may drive up healthcare costs across the region.
"Not only has Blue Cross Blue Shield cut off their members' access to the largest provider of specialized care in southwest Arkansas, they are paying more for those patients to be treated at other facilities," said Dr. William G. Jones, CHI St. Vincent market president. "It is behavior like this that increases the cost of care for everyone."
For specialties offered only at CHI St. Vincent, patients face long drives to see new doctors – a hardship many patients cannot endure. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield members will now have to travel as far as 45 miles for maternity care.
"We are the flagship provider of obstetric care for all of southwest Arkansas and well over 50% of our obstetric patients use some form of Blue Cross," said Dr. Clint Henson, OB/GYN. "There are significant risks in being so far away from obstetric care. The lack of access will promote more complications, because many people may forgo prenatal care if they can't afford to travel or don't have the ability."
Additionally, CHI St. Vincent facilities have some of the highest quality and safety ratings in the region.
"Blue Cross Blue Shield should consider the needs of their members, who deserve access to high-quality care from the providers they know and trust," said Garrett Lewis, MD, CHI St. Vincent chief medical officer. "Patients shouldn't have to switch doctors after decades of care because Blue Cross Blue Shield isn't willing to pay for it - especially when that care will cost the insurance company even more from another provider."
For more information, patients should visit commonspirit.org/stvincent-alerts or call (800) 258-5075, Monday–Friday 10am–10pm and Saturday–Sunday 10am–6pm.
About CHI St. Vincent
CHI St. Vincent is a regional health network serving Arkansas since 1888 with a history of many firsts. Headquartered in Little Rock, the network includes primary care, specialty clinics, urgent care, hospitals, home health, rehabilitation and surgery centers across the state. U.S. News & World Report ranks CHI St. Vincent as No. 1 in Central Arkansas for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, and as "high performing" in multiple areas, including abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, pacemaker implantation, spinal fusion and transcatheter aortic valve replacement. CHI St. Vincent is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. Learn more at commonspirit.org/stvincent.
SOURCE CHI St. Vincent
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