BCBS Ordered to Place ETMC Tyler in PPO Network

TYLER — A Smith County district court has granted an injunction to East Texas Medical Center Tyler, immediately designating the hospital as a preferred provider in the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS) preferred provider organization (PPO). In a news release, Elmer G. Ellis, president/CEO of the ETMC Regional Healthcare System, calls the move a victory and says ETMC has been “fighting hard” for the designation. Earlier this year, ETMC Tyler filed suit against Blue Cross & Blue Shield, saying the hospital’s exclusion from the organization’s preferred provider networks has created serious and negative impacts on a large group of consumers. Although ETMC administrators expect Blue Cross & Blue Shield to appeal the decision, they say they’re confident the ruling will be upheld. Blue Cross Blue Shield did not immediately respond to a phone message left by KTBB.