Health Care Negotiations threaten Premera coverage for over 100K MultiCare patients in WA
Starting in June, Washingtonians on Premera Blue Cross insurance may no longer pay in-network rates at MultiCare hospitals and clinics, if the insurer and healthcare organization can’t agree on reimbursements.
The situation is the latest symptom of fragility in the healthcare system, as hospitals grapple with federal spending cuts while insurers and their customers struggle to keep up with rapidly increasing costs.
With no agreement on how much Premera will reimburse MultiCare providers, the Mountlake Terrace-based insurer had to send notice to about 100,000 households that MultiCare services may result in out-of-network costs for patients. About 163,000 people on Premera have had claims in the MultiCare system in the past two years, said Bill Akers, executive vice president of sales and marketing for the insurer.
Those on employer-sponsored and individual plans are covered under the contract subject to ongoing talks. For example, over 16,000 people who get insurance through the School Employee Benefits Board, or SEBB, received the notice from Premera, according to the state Health Care Authority.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/05/08/negotiations-threaten-premera-coverage-for-over-100k-multicare-patients-in-wa/