CHI St. Vincent & CommonSpirit Health network status with Arkansas Blue Cross

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and CHI St. Vincent and Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health have been in negotiations on the healthcare system’s provider reimbursement rates for the past several months but have not yet been able to reach a mutually acceptable accommodation.

CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health has officially notified Arkansas Blue Cross that on September 1, 2026 – if an agreement has not yet been reached – CHI St. Vincent’s four hospitals (in Hot Springs, Little Rock, Morrilton and Sherwood), 80 medical clinics and 300+ employed healthcare providers will withdraw from all of the Arkansas Blue Cross provider networks that serve the health coverage company’s associated health plans (Arkansas Blue Medicare, BlueAdvantage Administrators of Arkansas, Health Advantage, Octave Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Skai Blue Cross Blue Shield).

Even though negotiations are ongoing, this termination notice has triggered certain notification timeframes specified in federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations. These notifications afford members of Medicare Advantage health plans whose providers leave their health plan’s networks the opportunity to:

• Choose an in-network provider – This allows the member to get the most value from their health benefits.
• Apply for temporary continuity of care coverage – This provision applies if the member is engaged in a federally defined ongoing course of treatment for which a transition to another healthcare provider would be inappropriate or unsafe.

This is important because, unless they take one of those actions, members of Medicare Advantage plans who are served by a CHI St. Vincent provider September 1 and thereafter may be liable to pay 100% of the cost of that care.

Arkansas Blue Cross and CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health are required to issue these types of communications to remain in compliance with state and federal requirements, but both sides are continuing negotiations and are diligently working to arrive at an agreement that will avoid CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health’s departure from the Arkansas Blue Cross provider networks and the potential disruption it would produce for members of those affected health plans.

Until September 1, 2026, no action by members is required. Services performed by CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health providers and facilities will continue to be covered at the current in-network benefit levels until that date. September 1, 2026, and thereafter, members still may choose to receive services from CHI St. Vincent/CommonSpirit Health providers and facilities – however, affected members would be responsible to pay a greater share of the cost out of their own pockets, according to the out-of-network benefit levels defined in their health plan’s coverage documents.