Agreement will increase patient access while emphasizing clinical quality and value.

Northwestern Medicine (NM) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) are offering consumers expanded access to affordable, high-quality primary and specialty care close to where they live and work. The health system and insurer announced today that BCBSIL members will have access to NM’s network of ten hospitals, over 4,000 physicians and 200+ sites across the Chicagoland area.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, BCBSIL group and retail members participating in our Blue Choice Preferred PPO^SM plans and group members participating in plans on our Blue Choice PPO^SM network can receive in-network services from Northwestern Medicine.

“We know that patients want to receive high-quality, compassionate care, and they want to receive that care close to where they live and work,” said Dean M. Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. “By partnering with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, we are able to bring exceptional patient care to more patients, in more areas of Illinois by offering a network that provides access to all Northwestern Medicine hospitals, affiliated providers and outpatient care centers.”

This multi-year arrangement is part of BCBSIL’s larger vision to continue to enhance affordability, accessibility, and quality of care by maximizing collaborative patient-physician-health plan relationships.

“We are focused on increasing access to providers based on quality and performance indicators” said Steve Hamman, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “We are a leader in these types of value-based care arrangements and continue to evolve and customize these programs to meet the needs of patients and providers. We’re excited to partner with Northwestern Medicine to bring these value-based benefits to our members.”

For more information about Northwestern Medicine’s accepted insurance plans, visit www.nm.org/patients-and-visitors/billing-and-insurance.

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To learn more about Northwestern Medicine, visit http://news.nm.org/about-northwestern-medicine.html.