Premera Blue Cross and Swedish Health Services Extend Collaboration in King County

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash., Aug. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Premera Blue Cross today announced that Swedish Health Services in King County will become a part of its value-based networks serving Premera's individual and small group customers in 2015. Effective January 1, 2015, Premera's expanded value-based networks will include Swedish hospital campuses located at First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard and Issaquah; ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; all Swedish health care practitioners; and all locations of Swedish Medical Group.  Swedish Edmonds will remain in Premera's value-based networks.

"We are giving our members more choice and flexibility when it comes to choosing a healthcare provider by expanding our collaboration with Swedish to all of their King County facilities," said Rich Maturi, Premera's senior vice president for Health Care Delivery Systems.  "Swedish shares the commitment of other hospitals and doctors in our network to offer safe, high quality care and managing costs for our members. We are pleased to add them to our value-based networks in 2015."

These network changes apply to Premera members in the individual market who have the Heritage Signature network as part of their health plan, as well as employer group members who have the Heritage Prime network as part of their health plan. Premera members with these networks will be able to seek medical care at Swedish facilities and with Swedish healthcare practitioners at an in-network benefit level starting next year. This expansion applies to health plans purchased directly through Premera and its affiliates or through the Washington Healthplanfinder.

"We are excited to add Premera's individual and small group plans to the list of Washington Health Benefit Exchange plans featuring Swedish Health Services," said Anthony Armada, FACHE, chief executive officer of Swedish Health Services. "This gives patients another option to access our high quality care."

The Premera family of companies has the most members in the Washington Health Benefit Exchange and the state's individual market and is committed to providing access to care for its members. In addition to Swedish, Premera members on individual metallic plans under the Affordable Care Act will continue to have access to other leading hospitals in King County, including Virginia Mason Hospital and Medical Center, Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Northwest Hospital and Evergreen Health. Employer group members who have the Heritage Prime network as part of their health plan will also have in-network access to all of these leading hospitals in King County.

Members with questions about how this change impacts them should call the customer service number on the back of their Premera ID card.

About Premera Blue Cross

Premera Blue Cross is a leading health plan in the Pacific Northwest, providing comprehensive health benefits and tailored services to more than 1.6 million people, from individuals to employees of Fortune 100 companies. Premera is committed to providing its members peace of mind about their healthcare. The company offers innovative health and wellness solutions focused on quality outcomes for patients and controlling costs. Premera Blue Cross, which has operated in Washington since 1933, is a not-for-profit, independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

Premera Blue Cross is a member of a family of companies based in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., providing health, life, vision, dental, stop-loss, disability, workforce wellness and other related products and services. The family of companies employs approximately 3,600 people and provides healthcare coverage and related services to over 1.9 million members. For more information visit www.Premera.com, www.PremeraNews.com, www.facebook.com/premera or www.twitter.com/premera.

About Swedish Health Services

Swedish has grown over the last 103 years to become the largest non-profit health provider in the Greater Seattle area. It is comprised of five hospital campuses (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard, Edmonds and Issaquah); ambulatory care centers in Redmond and Mill Creek; and Swedish Medical Group, a network of more than 100 primary care and specialty clinics located throughout the Greater Puget Sound area. In addition to general medical and surgical care including robotic-assisted surgery, Swedish is known as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer care, neuroscience, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics, pediatric specialties, organ transplantation and clinical research. In 2012, Swedish provided more than $130 million in community benefit in Western Washington. For more information, visit www.swedish.org,  www.facebook.com/swedishmedicalcenter or www.twitter.com/swedish.

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SOURCE Premera Blue Cross