sunday edit... Kootenai Health, Regence need to make a deal

This is easier said than done, but here goes:

Kootenai Health and Regence BlueShield need to renew their contract and ensure continued in-network access for Regence members. Otherwise, if a deal is not struck by Jan. 1, Kootenai Health would be considered an out-of-network provider, which means Regence members would pay more to go there. We're talking about thousands of people and even more money. It includes inpatient and outpatient care, imaging, infusion, therapy and physician visits. 

And we're talking about a tight timeframe to agree.

So, what's the problem? Kootenai Health says Regence's current proposal falls below the reimbursement levels offered by other insurance providers. 

"Regence was unwilling to offer rate increases that reflect the rising costs of providing high-quality health care," according to Kootenai Health.

Regence, like any insurance carrier, is looking to control costs, especially in a day of rising medical expenses when a visit to the ER, even for a few hours, can run well over $1,000. Short hospital stays can quickly run up bills of $20,000 or more, depending on the care provided.

Negotiations between health care facilities and insurance are not unusual. It's part of the process and pretty standard in the bargaining strategy. 

But we don't know how far apart the sides are. If it were a short distance, they would have reached an agreement by now. Since it hasn't, we must believe we're talking about a considerable gap. And this is why we urge both sides to keep working to find a middle ground.

We're certainly not trying to frighten anyone whose health insurance is with Regence BlueShield, but we do encourage you to pay close attention to this situation and not assume things will work out just fine. They may not, which would put Regence cardholders in a tough spot, as Kootenai Health is the largest hospital in the region and offers services not found nearby. They would need to find another regional medical center that accepts Regence as an in-network provider, find a new insurance, which would likely be expensive, or be prepared to pay a larger share of medical expenses incurred at Kootenai Health.

We certainly don't blame either side for this impasse. We understand that in the long run, we're talking about millions of dollars, so each must take care to protect its financial future.

But we're also talking about the mental and physical condition of those who rely on Kootenai Health and on Regence BlueShield. An unknown like this creates stress, which is harmful to your health. We urge both parties to reach an agreement as soon as possible.