Dear Christie Clinic PersonalCare Members:
On July 1st Christie Clinic received notice that PersonalCare was unilaterally terminating its contract with Christie Clinic. In the wake of PersonalCare’s continued silence and the most recent open enrollment period (October 10th-28th, 2011), for State of Illinois Members, Christie Clinic felt an obligation to the State, private employers and, most importantly, our patients to notify them of PersonalCare’s actions. Because of the business practices of PersonalCare and serious differences over the past decade, Christie will not renegotiate or reenter a contract with PersonalCare that includes any HMO, PPO or Open Access Plan (OAP) Products.
Christie Clinic’s team is committed to providing the highest quality health care to the communities we serve. We are working closely with our patients, the State of Illinois and private employers to make this transition as seamless as possible for Christie Clinic patients.
What should I consider if I am a PersonalCare HMO, PPO or OAP member who receives care at Christie Clinic?
State Employees
- If you are an HMO member: You may choose a new vendor when the contract between Christie Clinic and PersonalCare terminates on January 1, 2012 if you are eligible for a qualifying event. To be eligible for a qualifying event provision that will allow you to change health plans, you must meet both of the following criteria: 1) You must be an HMO participant with a Christie Clinic Primary Care Physician ON FILE with PersonalCare and 2) Your Primary Care Physician ceases participation in the HMO network (ie: Christie Clinic Primary Care providers no longer accept PersonalCare HMO insurance). If you qualify to choose a new health care plan on January 1, 2012, you have the following options: a) Health Alliance HMO, b) Healthlink OAP and c) Quality Care Health Plan (QCHP). If you do not meet the qualifying event provisions, your next opportunity to change plans will be in May 2012 (with changes effective July 2012).
- If you are an OAP Member: At this time, your next opportunity to change plans will be in May 2012 (with changes effective July 2012).
Private Employers/Non-State Employees
- As of January 1, 2012, this change will also affect insured employees of private companies who have contracted with PersonalCare for their health insurance. We are working directly with many employers and their brokers who currently contract with PersonalCare about their options. If you currently have a PersonalCare HMO or PPO plan you should contact your Human Resources department for additional information and options available to you. Christie Clinic is a provider with Health Alliance Medical Plans, Healthlink, BCBS of IL, Aetna, Cigna, and many others. For more information regarding Christie Clinic’s contracted carriers, please click here.