Important information for Regence members who are patients of Cancer Care Northwest in Idaho

By Regence
January 29, 2025

The leader of Cancer Care Northwest’s (CCNW) Idaho locations has chosen to unnecessarily alarm their patients about contract negotiations with Regence by prematurely sending out letters about the possibility the provider could leave the Regence network.

We know that receiving a letter like this can be unsettling, and we want to assure our members that we're here to help. Regence members continue to have access to the Idaho locations of CCNW through April 2, 2025, and we are actively negotiating to keep their offices and doctors in our network. CCNW’s Spokane locations are not affected by this negotiation and remain in network for Regence members, even if the Idaho leadership decides to remove its doctors and facilities from our network.

If CCNW’s Idaho locations are out of network on April 3, we will work closely with members currently undergoing care to ensure their treatment is uninterrupted. We are prepared to arrange for continued in-network care with CCNW’s Idaho doctors through federal Continuation of Coverage provisions or help members access care through other local providers who value our commitment to affordable, high-quality care.

It is disappointing that CCNW and its out-of-state consultant have chosen this tactic to try to strong arm Regence into agreeing to unsustainable rate increases. To set the record straight, CCNW’s Idaho locations received a rate increase from Regence in 2023.

As a not-for-profit health plan, we negotiate the cost of medical care with providers on behalf of our members and employer groups that pay to provide their employees health care benefits. We want to compensate providers fairly, but when provider system administrators demand unreasonable increases, our members and customers will pay more. We hold the line on behalf of those we serve.

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