Steward Health Care System announced this week they they’re selling their Medicaid and Dual Special Needs Medicare Health Plans to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. The sale won’t be final until approved by AHCCCS. They expect to complete the sale in early 2020. Steward’s Medicaid health plan serves the northern part of the state and covers about 200,000 AHCCCS members. Their network includes about 17,000 healthcare providers.
Blue Cross Blue Shield is currently not in Arizona’s Medicaid program, so this will be a new entry into the Medicaid market for them in Arizona. The press release said that providers won’t need a new agreement with BCBSAZ Health Choice Arizona and Medicaid members can keep their current providers as well. Members will be getting new ID cards after the transition.