Bend, Ore. – St. Charles Health System announced Tuesday that it has reached contract agreements with insurance providers Aetna and Cigna, ensuring patients on those plans will remain in-network for elective services at St. Charles facilities.
The new contracts come after years of concern from the health system over insurance denials, administrative inefficiencies, and delays in care. Chief Financial Officer Matt Swafford said the agreements are not perfect but include improvements that address some of those issues.
A recently resolved agreement with Aetna will affect an estimated 7,500 Central Oregon patients, while the deal with Cigna—set to expire Sept. 30—protects coverage for about 5,000 more.
“We understand that some individuals were concerned about potentially losing or having to switch coverage, and that’s a worry we take seriously,” Swafford said. “We are moving ahead with these newly negotiated agreements because we believe it is in the best interest of patients and for preserving health care access in Central Oregon.”
St. Charles, a nonprofit headquartered in Bend, operates hospitals in Bend, Madras, Prineville, and Redmond, along with clinics across the region. The system is Central Oregon’s largest employer, with more than 5,200 caregivers.
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.
