Bend, Ore. – Thousands of Central Oregon patients will continue to receive in-network care at St. Charles hospitals and clinics after the health system announced that it has reached a new agreement with PacificSource.
The deal covers both commercial insurance plans and Medicare Advantage plans, avoiding what could have been major disruptions for local residents who rely on St. Charles for hospital and specialty care.
“We are grateful we were able to come to an agreement with PacificSource to maintain in-network coverage for thousands of local residents, who we hope will welcome this news,” said Matt Swafford, Chief Financial Officer for St. Charles. “We appreciate PacificSource coming to the table and working with us on a solution that meets all of our needs.”
Under the agreement, the Medicare Advantage contract will be renewed for one year, while the commercial contract extends for two years.
Swafford acknowledged that the negotiations came at a time when patients nationwide face growing uncertainty around Medicare Advantage coverage.
“We recognize that uncertainty about insurance coverage can cause stress for our patients, especially given state and national trends in declining Medicare Advantage options,” he said. “Negotiations like these are an important part of the overall process that ensures St. Charles can continue to provide access to health care services locally for the communities we serve.”
St. Charles says it continues to work with a range of insurance providers to maintain local coverage. The health system recently finalized similar agreements with Providence Health Plans, Aetna and Cigna.
Patients seeking the most up-to-date information about which insurance plans remain in-network can find details on the St. Charles website.
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject mater expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
