The changing Blue Cross-provider relationship.

Several forces in the healthcare marketplace are causing profound changes in the historic relationship between Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans and healthcare providers. In light of the fact that the Blues still have the largest share of the private health insurance market, it is important for healthcare providers to understand the significance of these changes and where relationships with the Blues may be headed in the future. In this article, I will analyze the development of Blue Cross provider relationships, the forces currently at work in the marketplace and the changes they are causing. I will use a recent case study to illustrate how these changes are leading to outright hostility between the Blues and providers.