WellNow Urgent Care Centers are rejoining the Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield network after separating earlier this year.
Excellus members will have in-network access to WellNow’s urgent care facilities as of Friday, Nov. 15.
WellNow provides healthcare services through more than 70 urgent care clinics in New York, 41 of which are located across Central and Western New York.
Representatives from the companies said the two parties have come up with a new provider contract. The details of that agreement have not yet been released.
“Ensuring convenient access to quality care, particularly in areas where healthcare options are limited, is our primary goal,” Sam Meites, president of WellNow Urgent Care, said in a news release Tuesday. “We appreciate the urgency and partnership that Excellus BCBS brought to our good-faith negotiations so that, together, we can continue focusing on serving our patients and the community in New York.”
The two ended their partnership on January 1.
The urgent care provider said the insurance company’s reimbursement rate was too low, which made it difficult to pay and recruit staff.
At the time , WellNow was requesting a 60% rate increase to remain in the nonprofit insurer’s network. Excellus, in return, had called WellNow’s demands an attempt to seek “preferential treatment” and until Tuesday the parties had failed to reach an agreement.
