Contract impasse could affect thousands at Regence, Everett Clinic
EVERETT — Thousands of people who get their health care coverage through Regence, including Boeing and school employees, may need to find new doctors next month if The Everett Clinic and Regence BlueShield can’t agree on a new contract.
Regence sent a letter to its Medicare Advantage plan members that its contract with Optum — the parent company of The Everett Clinic and The Polyclinic — will end effective Dec. 5, because Optum demanded a 14.75% increase in negotiated rates.
The contract dispute affects everyone with a Regence plan, including state and other public employees and retirees with the Uniform Medical Plan, where the contract ends Dec. 19.
For Regence plan members, The Everett Clinic would be out-of-network, meaning patients could face much higher bills. If they choose new doctors, they could wait months to get their initial appointments.
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